Skip to main content

Full text of "Narrative of a journey overland from England, by the continent of Europe, Egypt, and the Red sea, to India; including a residence there, and voyage home, in the years 1825, 26, 27, and 28"

See other formats 


Google 


This  is  a  digital  copy  of  a  book  that  was  preserved  for  generations  on  library  shelves  before  it  was  carefully  scanned  by  Google  as  part  of  a  project 

to  make  the  world's  books  discoverable  online. 

It  has  survived  long  enough  for  the  copyright  to  expire  and  the  book  to  enter  the  public  domain.  A  public  domain  book  is  one  that  was  never  subject 

to  copyright  or  whose  legal  copyright  term  has  expired.  Whether  a  book  is  in  the  public  domain  may  vary  country  to  country.  Public  domain  books 

are  our  gateways  to  the  past,  representing  a  wealth  of  history,  culture  and  knowledge  that's  often  difficult  to  discover. 

Marks,  notations  and  other  maiginalia  present  in  the  original  volume  will  appear  in  this  file  -  a  reminder  of  this  book's  long  journey  from  the 

publisher  to  a  library  and  finally  to  you. 

Usage  guidelines 

Google  is  proud  to  partner  with  libraries  to  digitize  public  domain  materials  and  make  them  widely  accessible.  Public  domain  books  belong  to  the 
public  and  we  are  merely  their  custodians.  Nevertheless,  this  work  is  expensive,  so  in  order  to  keep  providing  tliis  resource,  we  liave  taken  steps  to 
prevent  abuse  by  commercial  parties,  including  placing  technical  restrictions  on  automated  querying. 
We  also  ask  that  you: 

+  Make  non-commercial  use  of  the  files  We  designed  Google  Book  Search  for  use  by  individuals,  and  we  request  that  you  use  these  files  for 
personal,  non-commercial  purposes. 

+  Refrain  fivm  automated  querying  Do  not  send  automated  queries  of  any  sort  to  Google's  system:  If  you  are  conducting  research  on  machine 
translation,  optical  character  recognition  or  other  areas  where  access  to  a  large  amount  of  text  is  helpful,  please  contact  us.  We  encourage  the 
use  of  public  domain  materials  for  these  purposes  and  may  be  able  to  help. 

+  Maintain  attributionTht  GoogXt  "watermark"  you  see  on  each  file  is  essential  for  in  forming  people  about  this  project  and  helping  them  find 
additional  materials  through  Google  Book  Search.  Please  do  not  remove  it. 

+  Keep  it  legal  Whatever  your  use,  remember  that  you  are  responsible  for  ensuring  that  what  you  are  doing  is  legal.  Do  not  assume  that  just 
because  we  believe  a  book  is  in  the  public  domain  for  users  in  the  United  States,  that  the  work  is  also  in  the  public  domain  for  users  in  other 
countries.  Whether  a  book  is  still  in  copyright  varies  from  country  to  country,  and  we  can't  offer  guidance  on  whether  any  specific  use  of 
any  specific  book  is  allowed.  Please  do  not  assume  that  a  book's  appearance  in  Google  Book  Search  means  it  can  be  used  in  any  manner 
anywhere  in  the  world.  Copyright  infringement  liabili^  can  be  quite  severe. 

About  Google  Book  Search 

Google's  mission  is  to  organize  the  world's  information  and  to  make  it  universally  accessible  and  useful.   Google  Book  Search  helps  readers 
discover  the  world's  books  while  helping  authors  and  publishers  reach  new  audiences.  You  can  search  through  the  full  text  of  this  book  on  the  web 

at|http: //books  .google  .com/I 


600006100D 

30. 


47^- 


'J' 


NARRATIVE 


OF    A 


JOURNEY  OVERLAND  FROM  ENGLAND, 


BY    THE 


CONTINENT  OF  EUROPE, 


EGYPT,   AND    THE    RED    SEA, 


TO 


INDIA; 


I^CLUDI^G 


A    RESIDENCE  THERE,  AND   VOYAGE  HOME. 
IN  THE  YEARS  1825,  26, 27,  AND  28. 

BY   MRS.   COLONEL   ELWOOD. 


IN  TWO  VOLUMES, 


VOL.  I. 


LONDON: 

HENRY  COLBURN  AND   RICHARD  BENTLEY, 
NKW  BURLINGTON  STREP:T. 


<7 


^. 


LONDON : 
IT£n    By   tlliUEI.  BEHTLEY, 
DOTMI  SlIHI,  n«l  SlRtl. 


EDWARD  JEREMIAH  CURTEIS,  Esq. 

WINDMILL  HILL, 
M.P.  FOR  THE  COUNTY  OF  SUSSEX. 


MY    DEAR    FATHER, 

In  dedicating  the  following  letters  to 
you,  which  contain  an  account  of  our  adven- 
tures, from  the  time  of  our  leaving  Windmill 
Hill,  until  the  period  of  oiu*  return  tliither,  and 
which  were  originally  addressed  to  my  sister, 
Mrs.  Elphinstone,  1  take  the  opportunity  of 
expressing  the  warm  affection,  which,  in  com- 
mon with  every  branch  of  your  family,  I  feel 
for  you,  and  the  respect  which  is  entertained 
by  us  all,  for  the  numew?ti8  virtues  that  adorn 
your  character,— virtues  that  none  can  so  well 
appreciate  as  those. who  have  the  pleasure  of 
being  intimately  acquainted  with  you,  and  of 
which  none  has  a  deeper  sense  than, 
^^B  My  dear  Father, 

^^H  Your  ever  grateful,  dutiful, 

^^H  And  very  affectionate  daughter, 

^^M  Anne  Katharine  Elwood. 


PREFACE. 


I 

1 


In  submitting  the  following  letters  to  the 
[  public,  the  writer  is  acting  upon  the  sugges- 
tions of  those  on  whose  judgment  she  has  a 
firmer  reliance    than   on   her   own,   and  who 
are  of  opinion,    that    they  may   possibly   be 
deemed    not  wholly  uninteresting   at  this  pe- 
culiar  time,    when    India,    and    the  over-land 
'  communication    with  that  country,  are   topics 
,  of  such  general  conversation. 

She  begs  also  to  state,  that  in  so  doing,  she 
J  likewise  complying  with  the  wishes  of 
Beveral  friends,  who  have  frequently  expressed 
themselves  desirous  of  being  informed  of  the 
particulars  of  her  journey  to,  and  residence  in 
India. 

She  fears  that  some  may  deem  her  presump- 
tuous, in  thus  offering  observations  to  the  pub- 
lic, which  were  made  upon  the  spot,  frequently 
under  the  disadvantageous  circumstances  of  ex- 


4 


posure  to  Siroccos  and  Camseeiis — whilst  travel- 
ling in  a  Takbtrouan  or  Palanquin—sailing  in 
Cangias,  Dows,  and  Pattemars,  and  living  in 
Tents,  Caravanseras,  and  Durrumsallahs, — all 
which  were  originally  written  in  a  journal  kept 
merely  for  her  own  private  amusement,  and  in 
their  present  form  were  addressed  to  a  near  and 
very  dear  relation.  But,  since  she  can  safely 
affirm  that  she  has  given  a  true  and  faithful  de- 
scription of  what  slie  saw  and  felt,  in  the  very 
peculiar  circumstances  in  which  she  occasion- 
ally found  herself,  and  in  the  singular  countries 
which  it  was  her  fate  to  visit,  and  since,  if  she 
may  judge  from  her  own  feelings,  women  natu- 
rally take  a  lively  interest  in  what  concerns  tlieir 
own  sex,  she  flatters  herself,  that  the  following 
account  of  the  adventures  of  the  first  and  only 
female  who  has  hitherto  ventured  over-land 
from  England  to  India,  may  at  least  prove  not 
wholly  unacceptable  to  the  fair  part  of  the 
reading  communitj'.  Slie  likewise  hopes,  that 
it  is  not  impossible  some  future  over-land  tra- 
veller may  derive  benefit  from  her  experience, 
which  has  already  enabled  her  to  give  hints, 
and  to  furnish  suggestions  and  information, 
that  have  been  found  useful  by  parties  pro- 
ceeding  to  and  returning  from  India. 


CONTENTS 

OP 

THE    FIRST    VOLUME. 


LETTER  I. 

Departare  from  England. — Paris. — Fontainbleau. — Dijon. — 
The  Jura. — Beautiful  view  near  Vattay. — Geneva.  Page  I 

LETTER  II. 

Aix  auz  Bains. — Chamberi. — ^Valley  of  La  Maurienne. — Lans 
le  Bourg. — Passage  of  Mont  Cenis. — Susa. — Valley  of 
the  Doria  Riparia. — ^Turin  •  .  *  8 

LETTER  IIL 

Turin. — Duomo. — Capella  della  Santissima  Sindone. — Pa- 
laces.—  Museum.  — Alexandria. —  Marengo. — Genoa.  — 
Beautiful  Scenery. — Massa. — ^Lucca. — Pisa         •  1 4 

LETTER  IV. 

Pisa  —  Its  origin.  —  Duomo.  —  Battistereo.  —  Campanile. — 
Campo  Santo. — Curious  frescos. — Fire  in  the  Hotel. — 
Road  to  Florence  .  .  .  .         ftft 

LETTER  V. 

Florence. — Piazza  del  Gran  Duca. — Gallery. — Palazzo  Pitti. 
— Churches  of  San  Lorenzo  and  of  Santa  Croce.— Duomo. 
— Battistereo. — Campanile. — Museum  .  28 


viu  CONTENTS. 


LETTER  VI. 

Sienna. — Duomo. — Piazza  Publica. — Radicofani. —  Monte- 
fiascone. — Campagna  di  Roma. — Entrance  of  Rome 

Page  36 

LETTER  VII. 

Rome. — Coliseum. — Capitol. — St.  Peter's.— The  Vatican. — 
The  Pantheon.— Fine  Paintings  and  Sculpture  in  the 
Palaces  and  Churches. — Ancient  Christians. — Fountains. 
— Obelisks  ...  48 

LETTER  VIII. 

Departure  from  Rome.  —  Albano.  —  Velletri.  —  Pontine 
Marshes. — ^Terracina. — Fondi. — Capua. — Aversa  55 

LETTER  IX. 

Naples. — Chiesa  dei  Certosini. — Fine  view  from  thence.— 
Castle  of  St.  Elmo. — Villa  Reale.—Grotto  of  Pausilippo. 
— Virgil's  tomb. — Museo    Borbonico. — Pompeii. — Portici 

68 
LETTER  X. 

Embarkation  in  Steam-packet. — Isles  of  Lipari. — Stromboli. 
— Straits  of  Messina. — Scylla  and  Charybdis.— Harbour 
of  Messina.— ^Beautiful  situation.— Sirocco. — Earthquakes. 
Shipwrecked  Greeks. — La.Virgine  della  Lettera. — Phee- 
nomenon  of  La  Fata  Morgana.— Duomo. — Marina. — Si- 
cilian language,  manners,  and  climate  .  75 

LETTER  XI. 

Sicilian  Brigantino. — Sirocco.— Augusta — Brigands.— Light- 
house.— English  officers  at  Augusta. — Sicilian  Macca- 
roni. — Syracuse. — Malta  and  Gozo  .  85 


CONTENTS.  ix 


LETTER  XII. 

Malta.— Bay  and  Cave  of  St.  Paul.— Order  of  the  Knighu 

of   Malta— Duomo. — Palace Maltese. — Hospitality. — 

Caleeshes.— Arrival  of  the  Marquis  of  Hastings.— Malta, 
a  Missionary  Station  .  .  .      Page  94 

LETTER  XIII. 

Departure  from  Malta. — German  Missionaries. — Service  on 
board. — Alarm  of  Pirates  —  Arrival  at  Alexandria.— Land- 
ing.— Consul's  House. — Pompey's,  or  Diocletian's  Pillar 

105 

LETTER  XIV. 

Franks  at  Alexandria. — Cleopatra's  Needle.— Costume  of 
Egyptian  Women. — Flies. — Native  Music. — Camseen. — 
Plague* — Public  Baths. — Visit  from  the  Aga  of  Alex- 
andria.—Curiosities  from  Thebes. — Mr.  Salt  lis 

LETTER  XV. 

Embarkation  on  the  Canal  of  Mahmoudieh.— Maash. — 
Cock-roaches.— Journey  from  the  Canal  to  El  Aft..^Na- 
tives. — Scenery  on  the  Nile.— Flirting  Scene. — Giovanni, 
Cameriere  to  Napoleon.— Boulac  .         124 

LETTER  XVI. 

Grand  Cairo. — British  Consulate. — Style  of  living  there. — 
Overland  Passage  to  India. — Affray.— Visit  to  Mahomet 
Ali. — Native  Music. — Camseen. — Soubra  .         137 

LETTER  XVII. 

Arrival  of  Sir  Hudson  Lowe. — Citadel. — Joseph's  Hall  and 
Well. — Palaces. — ^Slave-Market  .  .  .148 


X  CONTENTS. 

LETTER  XVIII. 

Pic-Dic  at  the  Pyramids.— Ride  thither.— Sphynx— Ascent 
and  Interior  of  the  Pyramid  of  Cheops. —  Hippopota- 
mus .  .  .  •  .  Page  155 

LETTER  XIX. 

.  Cangia. — Benisouf. — Gebel  Sheik  Hassan. — Miniet — Caves 
of  Beni  Hassan    .  .  ,163 

LETTER  XX. 

Life  on  the  Nile,  and  Scenery. — Sheik  Ababdi,  the  Ancient 
Antinoe. —  Monfalout — Sirut. — Djebbel  Heredy. — ^Alarm 
of  Robber  Pirates. — Intense  heat  .  «         172 

LETTER  XXL 

Arrival  at  Thebes. — ^Visit  from  the  CachefF  of  Luxor. — 
Superb  Temple. — CacheflTs  House. — Magnificent  Temple 
ofCarnac. — Sesostris. — Egyptian  Dynasties        .        183 

LETTER  XXII. 

Bibau  Ool  Moolk. — Tomb  of  Sesostris,  or  Amun  Mai  Ra- 
meses, — Arab  attendants. — Tomb  of  Rhamses  III.        195 

LETTER  XXIII. 

Memnonium. — Medinet  Abou. — Colossal  Statues. — Shammy 
and  Tammy. — Mummies. — Curiosities  discovered  in  the 
Tombs  of  the  Kings  .  .  .201 

LETTER  XXIV. 

Kenn^.— Preparations  for  the  Desert, — Temple  of  Dendera. — 
S|)ccimen  of  Egyptian  Deceit  .  f\0 


CONTENTS.  xi 


LETTER  XXV. 

Camseen. — ^Walk  by  the  Nile. — Caravans  of  Moggrebyn 
Hadjes^ — ^Preparations  for  departure.— -Inopportune  visit 
of  the  Cacheff  of  Kenn^  .  .  .  Page  216 

LETTER  XXVI. 

Takhtrouan,  or  Native  Litter. — Village  of  SherafTa. — Ababdi^ 
Dandy. — Tombs. — Camels  at  their  supper. — Garden. — 
Tomb  of  the  Sultan  s  Son  .  ,        2it5 

LETTER  XXVII. 

Desert  of  the  Thebaid. — Caravan. — Alarm  of  predatory 
Arabs. — Caravansera. — Village  of  Bir  Ambar. — Legayta, 
— Arrival  of  Caravans      .  .  •  .         239 

LETTER  XXVIII. 

Adel  Cashia. — Beautiful  Nights  in  the  Desert. — Song  of  the 
Camel -drivers. — Caravan  becomes  separated. — Alarm. — 
Adabiah. — Mountains  of  valuable  Marbles. — Pleasant  life 
in  the  Desert. — Arrival  at  Cosseir. — Abstract  of  Journey 
across  the  Desert  ....        25i 

LETTER  XXIX. 

Cosseir. — Egyptian  House. — Sun  rises  like  a  pillar  of  fire ! 
Red  Sea. — Beautiful  colour. — Distress  from  want  of  water. 
— Locusts. — Vultures. — Moggrebyn  Hadjes.  —  Arrival  of 
Franks. — Visit  from  the  Cacheff  of  Cosseir  .         263 

LETTER  XXX. 

Embarkation  on  the  Red  Sea. — Arab  Dow. — Hadjes  on 
board. — Manners  and  customs. — Hadje  Ships. — Tambo. — 
Governor. — Astonishment  of  the  Inhabitants  at  the  sight 


xii  CONTENTS. 

of  Franks. — Yambowys. — Reservoirs  of  water. — Arab  ar- 
chitecture.— Windmills. — ^Tombs. — Superstitious  customs 
— Mar  Abraham,  Bishop  of  Jerusalem  Page  274 

LETTER  XXXI. 

Ck)a8t  of  the  Hedjaz. — Beauty  of  the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea. 
— Ck)ral  Reefs. — Bay  of  Arabok. — ^Jaharmo. — Initiatory 
rite  of  the  Hadje. — Assumption  of  the  Ihram. — Barren 
shore. — Difficulty  of  return  to  the  Arab  Dow  294 

LETTER  XXXII. 

Djidda. — House  of  Hoseyn  Aga. — Divan. — Oriental  manner 
of  concluding  a  bargain. — ^Traditions  concerning  Djid- 
da •  •  .  •  •  803 

LETTER  XXXIII. 

The  George  Cruttenden,  a  Native  Vessel. — Embarkation. 
'. — Cock-roaches  — Crew. — Natives  of  Hindoostan. — Op- 
pressive Climate. — Arrival  at  Hodeida  .  812 

LETTER  XXXIV. 

Hodeida. — Arab  House  and  Architecture. — Castles. — Gar- 
den of  Dates. — Wild  Arabs.— Coffee. — Camel's  flesh. — 
Hyenas. — ^Curiosity  of  Inhabitants  concerning,  and  refusal 
to  accept,  Arab  Testament. — Dowlah's  Divan. — Banyans. 
— Ill-used  race  •  •  •  •  321 

LETTER  XXXV. 

Tournament  at  Hodeida. — Visits  to  the  Haram. — Manners 
and  Customs. of  the  Women. — Courteous  behaviour    S3 1 


LETTER  XXXVl. 

'  Difficult  return  to  the  ship. — Mocha, — Residency, — Imaun 
of  Sanaa. — Predilection  for  Eugliah  articles. — Mosque  of 
Sheik  Hadii, — Caravansera. — Abyasiuian  Village. — Ma- 
hometan Festival. — War  dance  of  the  Arabs        Page  841 


I 


LETTER  XXX Vll. 

Strait*  of  Bab-el- Mandeb, — Manners  of  the  Crew  and  Pas- 

•engers. — Monsoon. — Rough  weather. — Arrival  at  Bom- 


LETTER  XXXVIIl. 

Lauding  in  Bombay. — Palanquin. — Government  House. — 
Firat  appearance  of  every  thing  delightful  from  contrast. 
— Anglo-Indian  Breakfast. — English  Letters. — Hamauls. 
—Chintz  Poglie.  and  Road  thither  .  861 

LETTER  XXXIX. 

Monsoon, — Heavy  rains. — Deficiency  of  rain  produces  great 
diktresB  in  India,— Tanks. — Evening  Drive.— Great  variety 
of  nations  and  costumes  at  Bom  bay  .~Vel  lard. — Breach 
Candy. — Geneml  rendezvous  of  the  English        .        370 

LETTER  XL. 

rareil,  the  Government  House. — Menagerie. — Tiger,  and 
Tiger  adventures. — Ourang  Oulang. — Horticulture  not 
much  attended  to  at  Bombay. — Simiiai  lu  that  of  the 
ancient  Isgyptiaus. — Flowers  and  Trees. — Mango  of  Ma- 
lugong.  —  Cocoa- nut -tree — Bamboo. — Banana,  or  Plan- 
tain.—Banyan.— Peepul  ...  360 


;tiv  CONTKNTS. 


LETTER   XLI. 

Vegetable  productions  of  Bombay.— Fruits. — Rice-fieldt. — 
Animals.  — The  Horse.  —  Buffalo. — Squirrel.— Baya,  or 
Grosbeak. — Fire-flies  and  other  Insects.  .  $9S 

LETTER  XLII. 

Devastation  caused  by  Termites,  or  White  Ants.— Their  ex- 
traordinary Nests,  and  powers  of  destruction. -^Black 
Ants. — Immense  size  of  their  Nests — Fish,  Bumbelo, 
Pomfret,  and  Prawns.  —  Bazaar.  —  Jungle  FowL — Our 
Poultry  of  Indian  origin. — ^Turkey  and  Ham  never-failing 
dishes  at  Bombay. — Rage  for  European  Articles. — Native 
China  never  used  by  the  English         .  402 

LETTER  XLIII. 

House-rent  at  Bombay. — Bungalow. — Bee-hive. — Land  and 
Sea  Breezes. — Shipping  and  Trade  at  Bombay. — English 
articles  scarce  in  India  .  412 

LETTER  XLIV. 

Cocoa-nut-day  at  Bombay. — Native  Manners  not  to  be  pro- 
perly appreciated  at  the  Presidency. — Cocoa-nut-day  as 
celebrated  at  Poorbunder.->  Indian  Trade  mentioned  in 
the  Bible. — Commerce  perhaps  intended  as  a  means  of 
Christianizing  the  World.  —  Trade  in  the  Red  Sea. — 
Coffee  of  Mocha. — Coffee  said  not  to  be  known  to  the 
Ancients  420 


P*fe 

1»  — 

flOD  - 

999  — 

190  — 


Page 

J9 

45 

73 

73 
180 

197. 199.  SOO  > 
fui.  2m.  «C8,  ( 
tt6 

W7 
fSl 

tn 

315 


ERRATA. 

VOL.  I. 

Tacktroaao 

Patifma 

Affennent 

Jovrtt 

Altargat 

top* 

read 
VOL  II. 

Tbkhtfooan 

PasieuU 

Agr^meo* 

JowpU 

Aturgol 

top«a 

/•or 

pooruraj 

Slyavratar 

Imam 

Maji 

Raoka 

read 

poortrajt 

Sljavrato 

loiaan 

Magi 

Raoka 

— 

Jahrrjah 

— 

Jh^rejah 

— 

prraeota                      — 
liote.  BahooUcfaa     — 
See                               •— 
Ualwud                       — 
Vivaats                        — 
Siabad                         — 

nrra^nt 

Baboocacba 

8ie 

Hulwaa4 

Vivaos 

Siodbad 

LIST  OF  ENGRAVINGS. 


VOL.  I. 

TAKHTROUAN       .  .  .  To  facc  Page     211 

ADABIAII,  IN  TIIR  DESERT  OF  THE  TIIEBAID  •  257 

TAMBO,  AND  MOUNTAINS  IN  THE  VICINITY  OF  MEDINA  282 
MOCHA  .....  847 


VOL.  IL 

MOSQUE  OF  GOOLAM  ALI,  AT  KERAII  .  183 

HILL  FORT  OF  BHOOJIA  .  .  214 


JOURNEY 


OVRRLAND   FROM 


ENGLAND    TO    INDIA. 


LETTER  I. 

Departure  from  England. — Paris. — Fontainbleau. — Dijon. — 
The  Jura. — Beautiful  view  near  Valtay. — Geneva. 

MY  DEAR  SISTER. 

Since  you  wish  me  to  give  you  an  account 
of  our  Journey  from  England  to  India,  and  of 
our  residence  in  the  latter  country,  I  shall  have 
much  pleasure  in  complying  with  your  request ; 
for  even  in  this  erratic  age,  when  every  one 
talks  famUiarly  of 

*'  The  Alps  and  Apennines, 
The  Pyrenean,  and  the  river  Po," 

I  believe  I  may  safely  say,  that  I  am  the  only 
Lady  who  ever  travelled  thither  overland,  by 
this,  or  perhaps  by  any  other  route ;  and  pro- 
bably  mine  was  the  first  Journal  ever  kept  by 

VOL.    1.  B 


2  DEPARTURE  FROM  ENGLAND. 

an  Englishwoman  in  the  Desert  of  the  Thebais, 
and  on  the  shores  of  the  Red  Sea.  Instead  of 
the  Popes  and  Cardinals  who  grace  the  Diaries 
of  other  migratory  damsels,  you  will  meet  with 
Agas  and  Cacheffs,  and  hear  of  Pashas  and 
Rajahs ;  and  for  the  ceremonies  of  the  Holy 
Week,  you  will  have  the  initiatory  rites  of 
the  Mahometan  Hadje,  the  Mohurrum,  and  the 
Hindoo  Hoolie.  You  must  ascend  the  Py- 
ramids, and  descend  into  Joseph's  well,  pene- 
trate into  the  tomb  of  King  Sesostris,  and  ex- 
plore the  caves  of  Elephanta.  You  will  be  ex- 
posed to  Camseens  and  Siroccos ;  to  Monsoons 
and  Tropical  heats ;  you  will  sail  in  Egyptian 
Cangias,  Arab  Dows,  and  Indian  Pattemars  ; 
travel  in  a  Tacktrouan  and  Palanquin ;  take  up 
your  abode  in  Tents,  Caravanseras,  and  Durrum- 
sallahs  ;  hear  of  places  seldom  or  perhaps  never 
before  visited  by  any  of  our  countrywomen ; 
and  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  introducmg  you 
to  a  Turkish  Divan  at  Djidda,  an  ArabHaram 
at  Hodeidu,  a  Jahrejah's  Zenana  at  Bhooj,  and 
a  Bramin's  Pinjrapole  at  Broach.  Have  you 
the  courage  to  accompany  me  ?    AUons  done. 

When  we  first  started  our  idea  of  travelling 
to  India  by  the  way  of  Egypt,  our  project  was 
treated  as  visionary  by  several,  and  numbers 
considered  it  as  impracticable^/^  a  Lady.  Some 
kind  friends  sought  to  deter  us  by  magnifying 


DIFFICULTIES  OF  Ol'TWARD  ROITE,  3 

P  the  dangers  of  the  expedition,  and  otlicrs  re- 
[  commended  "  a  comfortable  China  ship"  in  pre- 
I  ference ;  but  though  we  were  fully  aware  this 
I  was  a  route  hitherto  but  little  frequented  even 
I  ^y  gentlemen,  and  that  no  lady  had  ever  at- 
I  tempted  the  outward  overland  jouTiiey  to  Bom- 
llwy,  we  were  not  to  be  deterred  by  imaginary 
]■  difficulties.  We  resolved,  at  least,  to  try  whe- 
I  ther  our  plan  were  feasible,  and  we  found  in 
I  the  variety  of  the  interesting  countries  through 
I  which  we  passed,  sufficient  amply  to  eompen- 
[  Wte  for  the  fatigue  and  inconveniences  wc  en- 
Lcountered  on  oiu- journey. 

Our  chief  embarrassment  was,  the  difficulty 

'  and   the   uncertauity   of  obtaining   a   passage 

down  the  Red   Sea,   which  obstacle  does  not 

exist  on  the  route  homewards,  as  ships  not  un- 

■  frequently  sail  at  once  frono  Bombay  to  Cosseir. 

\  However,  as   we   heard   from   the  family   of 

Lieutenant-General  the  Honourable  Sir  Charles 

Coh'ille,  that  he  intended  to  return  from  In- 

I  dia  to  England  through  Egypt,  and  that  he 

I  would  leave  Bombay  in  November,  we  deter- 

'  mined  to  proceed  quickly  to  Cosseir,  in  order 

to  take  advantage  of  his  ship,  and  as  we  did 

not    take  into   consideration    the   Sirocco,  the 

I  ttorms,  and  the  pirates  of  the  Mediten-anean, 

s  calculated  we  might  reach  that  place  easily 

I  Christmas. 

B  2 


^^H  •torms.  and 
^^Hwe  calculatt 
^^Hby  Christmi 


r 


FIHST  DAY'S  JOURNEY. 


On  the  6th  of  October,  1825,  we  left  Wind- 
mill Hill  for  New  Susans,  at  East  Bourne, 
which  latter  place  we  quitted  on  the  8th,  and 
proceeded  along  the  coast  to  Dover,  our  first 
day's  journey  on  our  route  to  India  ! 

Washington  Irving  asks,  "  AVho  can  tell, 
when  he  sets  forth  to  wander,  whither  he  may 
be  driven  by  the  uncertain  currents  of  existence, 
or  whether  it  may  ever  be  his  lot  to  re-\'isit  the 
scenes  of  his  childhood?"  This  idea,  indepen- 
dent of  parting  with  one's  family  and  friends, 
would  necessarily  sadden  the  heart;  but  I  will 
not  trouble  you  witli  an  account  of  my  feelings 
at  leaving  my  native  land ;  and  as  you  must  be 
well  acquainted  with  Paris  and  the  road  thi- 
ther, I  will  spare  you  any  description  of  the 
country,  which  at  this  time  was  ricli  in  all  the 
varied  hues  of  autumn  ; 
"  Dusk  and  dun,  of  every  hue,  from  wan  declining  green 
To  sooty  dark ;" 

and  merely  observe,  that  we  crossed  to  Calfua 
on  the  9th,  and  sleeping  at  Montreuil  sur  M^ 
and  Granvilliers,  we  reached  the  gay  metropolis 
of  France  on  the  evening  of  the  12th.  There 
is  no  occasion  to  trouble  you  with  an  account 
of  the  Tuileries,  the  Louvre,  the  Hotel  des 
Invalides,  and  all  the  other  lions,  with  which 
you  are  as  much  at  home  as  myself;  and  there- 
fore we  will  proceed  at  once  to  Fontfunbleau. 


I 


PALACE  OF  I'UNTAINBLEAL'.  Q 

f  T^'^ith  the  palace  there  we  were  certainly  mueli 
I  gratified ;  but  we  were  far  more  interested  in 
I  one  small  room,  simply  and  unostentatiously 
l.fumislied,  than  with  all  the  other  splendid  and 
I  magniticent  suites  of  apartments  through  which 
assed.  On  a  table  there,  as  simple  in  its 
I  structure  as  remarkable  for  the  deed  performed 
I  on  it.  Napoleon  signed  his  abdication,  and  on 
rit  may  still  be  seen  the  marks  of  the  pen-knife, 
I  which  in  the  perturbed  state  of  an  agitated 
I  mind,  he  hastily  dashed  on  its  surface.  The 
I  Kcnerj'of  the  forest  of  Fontainbleau  was  wooded 
[.and  pretty,  and  after  passing  Sens,  we  followed 
f  the  windings  of  the  Yonne,  upon  whose  broad 
and  peaceful  bosom  several  barges  were  sailing, 
and  whose  graceful  meanderings  througli  a  fer- 
tile country  added  much  to  its  beauty. 

On  the  17th  we  slept  at  Auxerre,  the  ancient 
lAutisiodorum,  and  on  the  three  successive 
Inights  at  Rouvniy ;  at  Dijon,  the  former  ca- 
Ipital  of  Burgundy,  and  the  birth-place  of  Bos- 
Isuet,  Buffon,  and  Crebillon,  which,  with  its  two 
Ifiiie  spires,  of  St.  Benigne,  375  feet,  and  St. 
■Jean,  300  feet  high,  stands  in  a  fertile  plain, 
IjCnriched  with  vineyards  ;  and  at  Poligny,  situ- 
lated  at  the  immediate  base  of  the  Jura,  in 
■  whose  neighbourhood  the  vines  began  to  dis- 
lappcar.  and  were  replaced  by  trees  and  brush- 
Bfood.     On  the  21st  we  commenced  to  ascend 


I 


I 


these  mountains  by  ii  steep  but  excellent  road, 
the  sides  of  which  were  prettily  fringed  with 
shrubs,  and  we  soon  passed  a  magnificent  defile, 
beautifully  wooded  with  beech  and  fir  trees, 
where  the  dark  and  sombre  hues  of  the  latter, 
powdered  with  a  slight  shower  of  snow,  pre^ 
sented  a  pleasing  and  striking  contrast  to  those 
of  the  former,  at  this  time  rich  in  every  au- 
tumnal tint.  We  piissed  a  fine  cascade  at 
Dombief,  and  we  continued  among  fine  Alpine 
scenery,  till  a  rapid  descent  brought  us  upon 
Morfit,  a  pretty  little  town,  standing  close  to  a 
brawling  stream  denominated  Le  Bief  de  la 
Chaille,  and  upon  the  river  Bienne,  which  flow- 
ing through  a  narrow  valley,  inclosed  by  per- 
pendicular rocks  of  prodigious  height,  scarcely 
leaves  room  for  two  rows  of  houses  and  the 
street  tliat  separates  them.  In  this  secluded 
spot,  buried  apparently  in  one  of  the  deepest 
dells  of  the  Alpine  regions,  we  spent  the  night ; 
and  on  the  following  morning  we  ascended 
a  very  high  mountain,  occasionally  passing 
through  immense  forests  of  fir,  which  were 
literally  bending  under  the  weight  of  the  snow 
with  which  they  were  covered,  whilst  our  road 
continued  along  fearfully  steep  precipices, 
where  not  the  slightest  parapet  intervened 
between  us  and  destruction.  Above  frowned 
awfully  stupendous   rocks,   and  over  the  per- 


I 


pendieular  cliffs  we  beheld  a  beautiful  and  a 
fertile  valley  smiling  beneath.  At  times,  emer- 
ging from  the  deepest  solitudes,  might  be  seen 
parties  of  smugglers  stealing  cautiously  along 
in  search  of  an  ilhcit  and  unlawful  gain,  daring 
and  encountering  dangers,  tlie  which  but  to 
think  of  quite  horrified  the  imagination. 

After  passing  Vattay,  a  sudden  turn  of  the 
road  brought  us  upon  one  of  the  most  magni- 
ficent views  that  can  be  conceived.  We  were 
among  the  wintry  snows  and  cloud-capped  hills 
of  the  Jura,  and  the  lovely  Lake  of  Geneva, 
with  the  luxuriant  and  beautiful  Pays  de  ^'^aud, 
burst  suddenly  upon  our  enraptured  sight ; 
whilst  beyond  towered  the  majestic  Alps  of 
the  Valais,  and  the  stupendous  mountains  and 
glaciers  of  Savoy.  It  was  one  of  the  loveliest 
and  finest  scenes  we  ever  beheld,  and  the  bare 
recollection,  in  itself,  amply  compensates  for 
the  fatigues  and  troubles  of  travelling.  We 
then  began  rapidly  to  descend,  and  we  soon 
left  the  stormy  regions  of  the  summits  of  the 
Jura  for  the  well-wooded  scenery  and  fertile 
pasturage  at  the  base ;  and  after  passing  Vol- 
taire's villa  at  Ferney,  we  quickly  reached  the 
clieerful  and  well-cultivated  environs  of  Ge- 
neva, the  scenery  of  which  lake  is  at  once 
sublime  and  beautiful,  and  is  interesting  to  the 
poet  and  the  man  of  taste  from  its  associations 


8  AIX  AUX  BAINS.— CI  IAMB  ERI. 

with  departed  genius.  "  Voltaire,  Roiis»eau, 
our  Gibbon,  and  De  Stael,"  and  that  immortal 
poet,  who  erst-while  sung  his  illustrious  pre- 
decessors, and  who  loved  to  sail  upon  its  bosom, 
and  seek  for  "  Mont  Blanc,  the  '  Monarch  of 
Mountains,' "  as  reflected  in  its  glassy  wave,  have 
all  resided  upon  its  bunks,  and  their  dwellings, 
and  the  places  described  and  immortalized  by 
them,  are  now  eagerly  sought  for,  and  pointed 
out  to  the  traveller  in  these  magnificent  and 
romantic  regions. 


LETTER  II. 

Aix  aiix  Bains. < — Chamber), — Valley  of  La  Maurienne. — LaM  | 
le    Bourg. — Passage  of  Moiil    Cenis. — Susa.— Valley   <rf 
the  Doria  Reparia — Tuiin. 

A  brilliant  sun  illuminated  and  animated 
the  landscape  as  we  left  Geneva,  though  a 
bitterly  cold  blast  blew  from  tlie  snow-capped 
mountains  and  icy  glaciers  in  its  vicinity.  We 
passed  over  a  succession  of  well-cultivated  and 
pastoral -looking  hills  and  dales,  till  we  reached 
Aix  aux  Bains,  whose  warm  and  sulphurous 
waters  were  known  to  the  Romans,  and  are 
still  in  high  repute.  Chamberi,  the  capital  of 
Savoy,  is  a  pretty  little  town,  situated  in  a 
rich  and  fertile  plain,  watered  by  the  rivulets 


;  rivulets    ^1 


ST.  JEAN  DE  MAUltlENNE.  9 

FLeisse  and  Albano.  The  heights  in  the  imme- 
idiate  neighbourhood  are  covered  with  vine- 
■  yards,  pasturage,  and  forests  of  fir.  Lady 
I  Mary  AVortley  Montague  and  Rotisseau  both 
I  spent  some  time  here,  and  we  never  saw  any 
[place  which  appeared  better  calculated  for  an 
I  agreeable  residence.  At  Mont  Melian  we  had 
la  noble  view  of  the  Alps:  Mont  Blanc  was, 
I  however,  so  coy,  that  he  seldom  vouclisafed 
I  to  unveil  his  majestic  head.  We  here  saw  one 
[of  the  unfortunate  ideots,  so  common  in  these 
[  mountainous  regions.  He  was  .sitting  basking 
I  in  the  sun,  at  the  door  of  a  cottage,  yet,  tliough 
1  we  were  positively  shocked  at  his  appearance, 
he  had  a  happy  and  contented  air,  and  seemed 
I  much  plea.sed  at  our  putting  a  piece  of  money 
[  into  his  liand,  turning  it  over  and  over,  and 
I  playing  with  it  as  with  a  toy. 

The  military  road  commences  at  Aiguebelle, 
I  and  we  then  entered  the  wild  and  desolate 
I  tract  of  country  caDed  La  Maurienne;  a  nar- 
I  row  valley,  which  gradually  contracts,  whilst 
I  the  awful  and  stupendous  Alps  approach  so 
I  near  as  barely  to  leave  room  for  the  road, 
land  for  the  river  Arc,  a  noisy,  rapid,  and 
I  trawling  stream,  which  is  a  tributary  to  the 
I  Is^re.  St.  Jean  de  Maurienne,  where  we  slept, 
I  is  the  capital  of  these  cheerless  regions,  and  it 
Ircally  seems  like  an  outpost  to  the  stronghold 


iO  LANS  LE  BOUHG. 

where  Winter  maintains  an  everlasting  reign, 
amongst  snowy  mountains  and  icy  glaciers. 
Amidst  this  desolation,  however,  we  occasion- 
ally came  upop  some  exquisite  little  morceaux 
of  scenery,  beautiful  and  picturesque  as  can 
be  conceived,  and  like  the  oases  in  the  desert, 
doubly  interesting  from  the  contrast  tliey  pre- 
sented with  all  around.  The  dark  fir,  the  yel- 
low birch,  the  red  beech,  with  their  autumnal 
tints  and  rich  foliage,  formed  a  delightful  re- 
freshment to  the  eye  that  had  just  rested  on 
the  rude  and  rugged  Alps  of  the  background. 

After  passing  Modano  the  road  became  one 
sheet   of  ice ;    the   mountains    were    whitened 
with  eternal  snows,  and  where  their  precipitous 
sides  prevented    it    from  remaining,  dark  and 
barren  rocks  abruptly  burst  to  view.     Innume- 
rable waterfalls  and  cascades,  often  arrested  and  i 
fast  bound  in  mid-air,  presented   themselvea,  i 
wliilst  the  river  ran  brawling  by  with  impetu- 
ous fury.     ^Ve  kept  gradually  ascending,  and 
the  air  became  piercingly  cold,  till  at  the  head 
of  a  long,  gloomy,  and  dreary  valley,  we  at  last  j 
reached    L.ans  le  Eourg,  situated  at  the  base  j 
of  Mont  Cenis,  which   was   frowning   several  I 
thousand  feet  aloft  in  the  air.    As  we  gazed 
on  the  snow-capped  mountain,  shining  in  daz-  J 
zling  splendour  beneath   the  radiant  light  of  I 
the  moon,  we  could  but  exclaim. 


MONT  CENIS. 


11 


"  And  yet  e'eu  here  f-v 

Does  winter  in  a  lovely  dreas  appear."  ^^ 

Mont  Cenis,  over  whose  summit,  11,977  feet 
high,  Pompey  the  Great  is  said  to  have  at- 
tempted a  passage,  from  his  days  to  tliose  of 
Napoleon,  was  only  to  be  crossed  on  mules,  or 
in  chaises  a  jMrteun.  In  1811,  in  the  space  of 
fi\c  months,  the  Imperial  energy  of  the  latter, 
aided  by  the  talents  of  Fabbroni,  caused  a  road 
to  be  cut  by  three  thousand  workmen,  by  which 
the  heaviest  carriages  may  now  pass  at  every 
season  of  the  year ;  and  the  most  delicate  in- 
vahd,  the  most  nervous  lady,  may  be  safely 
transported  from  the  valley  of  the  Arc  to  that 
of  the  Doria  Heparia. 

After  crossing  a  liandpome  wooden  bridge,  we 
began  slowly  to  ascend  the  mountain  with  six 
horses,  passing  througii  forests  of  fir  and  larcb 
covered  with  snow,  and  by  several  Refuges, 
twonty-six  in  number,  which  have  been  erected 
for  the  safety  and  accommodation  of  the  un- 
fortunate traveller  who  might  be  storm-bound 
or  benighted  on  these  wintry  wastes.  The 
road  gradually  wound  up  the  side ;  and  on 
reaching  the  top,  as  if  to  congratulate  us 
that  we  were  about  to  leave  the  churlish  re- 
gions of  the  north  for  the  more  genial  climate 
of  Italy,  the  sun  in  full  splendour  suddenly 
burst  from  behind  dense  clouds,  disclosing  to 


,g  to         ^1 


12  SCENERY  OF  .\10NT  CENIS. 

view  a  wintry  scene  of  the  most  brilliant  mag- 
nificence. 6027  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
and  surrounded  by  a  parapet  of  frowning 
mountains  9260  feet  high,  upon  the  bosom  of 
the  plain  of  San  Nicolo,  where  was  scattered 
the  little  hamlet  of  Les  Tavernelles,  sparkled 
a  beautiful  little  lake,  said  to  be  unfatliom- 
able.  Bright  confusion  reigned  around,  and 
a  dazzling  waste  of  snow  fatigued  the  eye, 
whilst  every  shrub  glittered  with  icicles,  and 
every  pointed  thorn  and  blade  of  grass  seemed 
as  if  it  were  wrought  in  glass. 

The  Hospice,  founded  by  Charlemagne,  was 
restored  by  Napoleoi],  to  whom  tra\ellers  can- 
not feel  too  much  obliged  for  having,  like  Han- 
nibal, melted  the  Alps,  by  making  good  roads, 
and  providing  excellent  accommodations,  in 
places  formerly  the  retreat  of  wolves  and  bears. 

Tlie  scenery  on  the  Piedmontese  side  of 
Mont  Cenis  is,  perhaps,  even  superior  to  that 
on  the  Savoyard.  Stupendous  rocks,  rugged 
precipices,  headlong  torrents  and  noble  cascades, 
are  seen  in  every  direction,  till  the  fertile  little 
vaUey  of  Cenis,  with  the  villages  of  Novalezza 
and  \'^elano,  are  discovered  smiling  some  thou- 
sand feet  below. 

After  passing  Molarfit,  near  which  an  ava- 
lanche often  falls,  we  took  leave  of  these  re- 
gions of  eternal  frost  and  snow,  and  soon  came 


I 


SUSA.  13 

upon  chesnut  trees  in  all  their  autumnal 
glories ;  vines  hanging  in  tangled  festoons  from 
tree  to  tree,  and  olives  lightly  waving  in  the  air, 
alternately  displaying  a  deep  green  or  a  silvery 
hue,  as  the  chance  breeze,  carelessly  kissing  the 
leaves,  turned  them  to  the  eye  of  the  beholder. 
In  six  hours  and  a  half  from  Laiis  le  Bourg, 
we  crossed  Mont  Cenis,  and  reached  Susa  on 
the  opposite  side,  which,  from  its  frontier  situa- 
tion, is  not  unaptly  termed  "  the  key  of  Italy, 
and  the  gate  of  war."  Its  ancient  name  was 
Segusium,  which  was  built  by  Augustus, 
when  he  wished  to  keep  open  a  route  into 
Daupliin^.  Tradition  relates  that  it  was  by 
this  route  Hercules  passed  to  subdue  Gaul,  and 
by  the  self-.same  that  Hannibal  came  to  con- 
quer Italy,  The  valley  of  the  Doria  Ileparia, 
rich  and  fertile  in  mulberry  trees,  and  vines 
"  married  to  their  consort  elms,"  is  surrounded 
by  lofty  mountains,  whose  sides  are  clothed 
with  verdure,  and  where  may  be  seen,  nestling 
on  lugh,  churches  and  convents  in  the  most 
romantic  situations.  The  softness  of  the  sce- 
nery, the  brilliancy  of  the  sun,  the  serenity 
of  the  Italian  sky,  formed  a  striking  and  de- 
lightful contrast  to  the  frost-bound  valley  of 
La  Maurienne,  and  to  the  brawling  river  Arc, 
the  desolate  regions  we  were  traversing  on  the 
yesterday.     A    noble    road,  perfectly  straight, 


14  TURIN. 

and  planted  on  both  sides  with  trees,  conducted 
us  to  Turin,  which  we  entered  by  the  mag- 
nificent Strada  della  Dora  Grossa,  tlu-ee  thou- 
sand feet  long;  and  we  soon  reached  the  superb 
Piazza  del  Castello,  which  is  esteemed  one  of 
the  largest  and  handsomest  in  Europe,  and 
which  was  at  this  time  illuminated  by  the 
splendid  light  of  the  full  moon,  in  these  hap- 
py regions  scarcely  hiferior  to  the  wintry  sun- 
shine of  northern  climes.  As  we  refreshed 
ourselves  by  a  blazing  fire,  we  thought  our- 
selves fortunate  in  having  traversed  Mont 
Cenis  before  the  season  was  farther  advanced, 
and  we  congratulated  ourselves  at  being  at 
L'Hotei  de  TUnivers  at  Turin,  rather  than  at 
L'Hotfil  Royal  at  Lans  le  Bourg. 


LETTER  III. 


Turin.— Duomo.-Capel!a   della  Sanlissima   Sindone Pa-  I 

laces.  —  Museum.  — Alexandria.  —  Marengo. — Genoa. —  ] 
Beautiful  Scenery. — Massfl. — Lucca. — Pisa. 

Turin  may  boast  of  very  high  antiquity, 
if  it  were  founded,  as  tradition  relates,  by 
Phsedon,  the  brother  of  Osiris,  who,  1539  years 
before  Christ,  brought  an  Egyptian  colony 
thither,   and   constructed  a  city   at  the  con- 


THE  DUOMO.  15 

nee  of  the  Po  and  the  Doria,  upon  which 
bestowed  a   name  significant    of  the  God 
Ipis.     In  his  selection  of  a  spot  he  certainly 
idisplayed  much  taste,  for  the  situation  is  most 
*autiful.     It  stands  on  a  fertile  plain,  bound- 
by  gently  swelling  hills,  with    a  majestic 
me  of  snowy  mountdns   in  the  background, 
whose    ice-covered    summits    towering    aloft, 
KtQeave  the  air  like  embattled  pinnacles.     From 
■pne  particular  spot  in  the  l*iazza  del  Castello, 
iveral  streets  diverge  as  from  a  common  centre, 
fteach  terminating  in  a  vista  of  the  most  mag- 
Inificent  and  beautiful  scenery.     The  Duomo, 
Iwhicli    is  dedicated    to  John  the  Baptist,  was 
■founded  by  Agilas,  and  was  repaired  in  1498. 
IjSehind  the  high  altar  is  the  Chapel  of  La  San< 
"tissima  Sindone,  which  being  wholly  composed 
of  black  marble,  has  a  somewliat  lugubrious  and 
funereal    appearance ;  its    cupola,  by  Guarini, 
which  is  formed  of  arches  interlacing  each  other, 
I  has,  perhaps,  rather  a  singular  than  a  pleasing 
L  effect.     In  the  Museum  of  the  University  are 
Ifeveral    statues,    which   the    French,    in   their 
I  days  of  spoliation,  considered  worthy  of  being 
I  carried  off,  in  order  to  their  being  installed  in 
y  the    Louvre.       There   is    also    the    celebrated 
Llsiac  tablet,   which   was   discovered   in   Man- 
kfaia.*    The  interior  of  the  King's  Palace,  in 
*  This  valuable  relic  of  ancient  art,  on  the  plunder  of 


16 


THE  PIAZZA  DEL  LASTELLU. 


the  Piazza  del  Caatello,  is  gorgeous  beyond 
conception,  and  contains  some  good  pictures. 
Its  exterior  presents  a  striking  contrast  to  the 
ancient  domicile  of  tlie  Dukes  of  Savoy,  which 
stands  in  the  centre  of  the  same  square.  Among 
the  modern  buildings  with  which  it  is  sur- 
rounded, the  latter  edifice  certainly  looks  out 
of  its  place,  and,  moreover,  tlie  majestic  and 
venerable  appearance  of  the  frowning  old  fabric 
is  much  injured  by  the  fine  Corinthian  front, 
which  in  the  time  of  Lewis  XIV.  was  patched 
on  in  very  bad  taste  by  Christina. 

Leaving  Turin,  we  crossed  the  Po  by  a  mag- 
nificent  bridge,  and  proceeded  along  a  noble  road 
to  Asti,  once  celebrated  for  its  hundred  towers, 
and  famous  for  being  the  birth-place  of  Alfieii. 
Alexandria  stands  on  the  Tanaro,  in  the  fertile 
plain  of  Lombardy,  abounding  in  corn-fields. 


Rome  by  the  army  of  Charles  the  Fifth,  about  the  year 
\5S7,  became  the  property  of  a  common  artificer,  aod  wasiiold 
by  him  to  Cardinal  Bembo,  by  whose  name  it  has  siDce  been 
frequently  dJstinguisbed.  At  the  death  of  that  Cardinal, 
the  Table  of  [sis  came  into  the  possession  of  the  Duke  of 
Maiilua,  in  whose  family  it  was  preserved  as  an  inestimable 
rarily  till  the  palace  of  Mantua  was  plundered  of  its  immense 
treasure  of  curiosities  by  the  Imperial  General,  in  1630, 
after  which  it  was  for  some  time  lost  to  the  world.  This 
curioud  tublet  exhibits  at  one  view,  under  various  human 
and  bestial  ligures,  the  deities  adored  in  Egypt,  but 
supposed  by  (he  learned  to  allude  particularly  to  the  tnystic 
rites  of  Isis  and  Oairii, 


I 
I 


APPROACH  TO  GENOA. 


17 


r in iilberry -trees,  and  vineyards.      Not    far  from 
I  thence  is  Marengo,  where  the  battle  took  place, 
I  June    14,    1800,   when    Xapoleon    headed    the 
I  French  in  person  ;  but  there  is  nothing  now  to 
I  mark  where  contending  armies  fought  and  bled  : 
leven  the  column  that  wa.s  erected  where  Desaix 
rifell  is  no  more  to  be  seen.     After  Voltaggio. 
■instead  of  crossing  the  summit  of  the  Bocchetta, 
Iwe  penetrated   through  the  romantic  defile  of 
■  the  Val  di    Scrivia,  and  soon  after  the  Medi- 
terranean burst  upon  our  view,  and  the  well 
cultivated  environs  of  Genoa.     The  road  runs 
along  the  banks  of  the  mountain-stream   Pol- 
levera,   which,   though    by    nature   originally 
'  merely  bare  and  nigged  rocks,  by  the  hand  of 
art  are  now    studded  with  magnificent  villas, 
and  the  whole  ravine  is  richly  planted  and  or- 
namented with  orange  and  lemon  groves,  olives, 
neyards,  and  cypresses,  wliilst  that  graceful 
B  tbe  flat-toppetl  pine  greets  the  eye  in  every 
m,  and  beautifully  diversifies  tlie  view, 
i  gndden  turn   of  the  road  brought  us  upon 
[enoa,  la  suffcrba,  which,  like  a  city  of  enchant- 
tent,  raised  by  the  potent  wand  of  a  magician, 
'  burst  most  imexpectedly  upon  our  astonished 
sight     in    all    its    beauty    and    magnificence. 
Springing  immediately  from  the  bosom  of  the 
vasty   deep,   were  marble  palaces  and    superb 
edifices  gradually  rising  up  the  base  of  the  hill. 


^^^^S-l- 


A 


I 


18 


GENOA— CHURCH  OF  CARIGNANO. 


whilst  immediately  behind  rose  the  lofty  alti- 
tude of  the  Alps,  frowning  in  awful  grandeur, 
and  forming  an  apparently  inaccessible  barrier. 
It  was  a  striking  spectacle,  and  so  like  a  fairy 
scene,  that  we  could  have  almost  expected  to 
have  seen  it  vanish  into  empty  air.  The  whole 
was  lighted  up  witli  the  rich  blaze  of  an  Italian 
setting  sun,  Tlie  palaces  and  churches  of 
Genoa  are  richly  and  even  gorgeously  orna- 
mented, but  we  were  most  struck  with  the 
Church  of  Carignano,  which,  situated  on  the 
swell  of  a  lull,  is  connected  with  the  neigh- 
bouring one  by  a  bridge  thrown  boldly  over 
the  deep  ravine  that  separates  them  ;  and  look- 
ing down,  we  were  surprised  to  behold  a  regular 
street  in  the  hollow  dell  below.  This  is  an 
interesting  monument  of  tlie  affection  of  a 
Genoese  husband,  who  built  it  to  save  his  lady 
fair  the  fatigue  of  daily  ascending  and  descend- 
ing the  steep  declivity  when  she  went  to  massi 
Oh  those  days  of  conjugal  gallantry!  wheal 
will  Europe  produce  such  another  hero  ? 

The  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Genoa  is 
absolutely  studded  with  palaces  and  villas, 
agreeably  diversified  with  olives  and  cypresses, 
groves  of  chesnut-trees  and  vineyards.  Thanks 
to  a  kicking  horse,  we  were  here  nearly  preci- 
pitated into  the  Mediterranean ;  however,  ■ 
escaped  without  any  farther  damage  i 


iwever,  we  ^Bfl 
e  than  the^^^H 


RECCO.  19 

constrained  to  submit  to  very  inferior 
I  accommodations  at  Recco  ;  but  perhaps  we  had 
I  no  business  to  complain,  for  royalty  had  re~ 
[  cently  put  up  with  the  same,  as  our  host  in- 
I  formed  us  with  harmless  vanity  and  ostenta- 
I  tion,  that  "  the  Kings  of  Sardinia  and  of  Na- 
Iples,  but  a  short  time  before,  had  breakfasted 
iin  the  very  room  we  were  dining  in  !"  When 
I  We  again  set  forth,  we  were  much  amused  at 
I  his  addressing  us  with  great  naivete  and  bon- 
\hommie,  and  telling  us  he  hoped  we  should 
I  often  call  to  mind  and  think  of  "II  Grande 

■  fieale  Albergo  di  Recco,  and  the  host  and 
[  hostess,  Monsieur  and  Madame  Lavoir."  We 
I  were  off  before  sun-rise,  and,  dimly  appearing 
I  through  the  gray  twilight,  we  passed  some  of 

■  the  most  romantic  scenery  imaginable — swell- 
I  ing  liills,  clothed  with  the  richest  foliage,  and 
l^ens  tapestried    down    to    the   water's    edge, 

thrown  into  deep  shade,  whilst  young-eyed 
Day  advancing,  every  moment  revealed  some 
new  beauty,  and  produced  a  fresh  exclamation 
f  delight.  The  road  from  thence  to  Borghetto 
was  very  bad,  but  the  views  were  magnificent. 
Sometimes  we  beheld  the  blue  waters  of  the 
I  Mediterranean  resting  in  calm  tranquillity  in 
loumerous  creeks  and  inlets,  whilst  round  the 
.  headlands  of  the  coast  the  bright  waves 
letulantly   played,   sparkling  in   the  morning 


20  ROJdANnC  SCENERY. 

8un,  and  sportively  reflecting  back  the  beau- 
teous  scenes  around.  Convents  might  be  seen 
nestling  high  in  the  bosom  of  the  momitains, 
or  partially  revealing  themselves  among  the 
deep  recesses  of  thick  groves  of  chesnuts  and 
lightly  waving  olives.  The  rocks  were  fringed 
with  myrtle  and  arbutus ;  rich  clumps  of  vi- 
vidly green  orange  trees  flourished  around  ; 
the  vines  hung  in  tangled  festoons,  Indian  figs 
and  aloes  grew  in  luxuriance,  and  the  spiral 
cypress  contrasted  itself  with  the  beautiful  flat- 
topped  pine.  At  times  we  ascended  lofty 
mountains  of  marble,  and  looked  over  a  mag- 
nificent horizon  of  sea ;  then,  descending  to 
the  shore,  we  found  ourselves  amid  vineyards 
and  plantations  of  mulberries.  We  slept  at 
Borghetto,  and  on  the  following  day  we  passed 
Spezia,  prettily  placed  at  the  head  of  a  deep 
gulf,  Sarzana  and  Laventia,  from  which  last  port 
the  Carrara  marble  is  embarked  for  the  difier- 
ent  countries  of  Europe.  We  then  crossed  a 
well-cultivated  country  to  Massa,  which  is 
agreeably  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  Apen- 
nines, and  o'er-topped  by  a  huge  castie.  We 
were  here  much  amused  with  the  naivete  of 
a  stout-looking  girl,  who  asked  for  charity, 
**  that  she  might  get  a  husband."  Now  as  no 
oi)c  would  be  cruel  enough  to  disappoint  a 
demoiselle  of  "  uh  ban  parti,**   we  willingly 


LUCCA.— THE  CATHEDRAL.  21 

[  contributed  our  mite  to  the  furtherance  of 
t  the  views  of  this  would-be  slave  of  the  ring. 

A  fertile  plain  covered  with  olive-trees,  and 
I  vines  flinging  themselves  fantastically  and  co- 

■  quettishly  from  tree  to  tree,  and  often  sus- 
[  pended  in  tangled  festoons  across  the  road,  led 
Ito  Pietra  Santa,  in  whose  neighbourhood  we 
Ibegan  to  see  the  noxious  marshes  that  pro- 
iduce  such  prejudicial  eifects.  Lucca,  la  in- 
wduslriosa,  is  nearly  enclosed  by  the  iVpennines, 
land  stands  in  a  vale,  irrigated  by  the  river 
Ifierchio,  wMch  is  so  well,  and  so  minutely  cul- 
Vtivated,  that  it  looks  tike  one  large  productive 

[arden.  The  ramparts  have  a  singular  appear- 
lance,  from  being  planted  with  forest-trees, 
1-which  make  it  look  like  a  fortified  wood ;  and 
I  the  town  has  a  Flemish,  rather  than  an  Italian 

■  appearance.  The  cathedral,  built  about  1070, 
lis  a  fine  gothic  edifice.  Its  facade  of  marble  is 
Icomposed  of  arches  interlacing  eacii  other,  and 
■it  contains  the  tombs  of  Adalbert  the  Rich  ;  the 
'  progenitor,  according  to  Muratori,  of  tlie  House 

of  Este,  and  of  the  Countess  Matilda,  the 
champion  of  the  Church,  and  the  guardian 
Land  instructress  of  "  il  fanciullo  Rinaldo."  At 
llength  the  Apennines  opening  and  receding  to 
Bome  distance,  disclosed  to  view  the  immense 
plains  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Pisa,  which, 
with  its  famous  leaning  tower,  appeared  in  the 


22  PISA. 

horizon,  though  this  peculiarity  was  not  very 
perceptible  till  we  were  in  its  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood. Indeed,  several  of  the  other  edifices 
are  also  very  considerably  out  of  the  perpen- 
dicular, which  some  attribute  to  an  earthquake, 
others  to  a  great  fire,  and  others  again  say,  that 
from  some  unknown  cause,  the  ground,  and 
consequently  the  foundations,  have  given  way. 
An  air  of  solitude  and  of  desolation  reigns  in 
the  vicinity  of  this  city,  which  appears  as  if  it 
still  were  suffering  from  the  effects  of  its  an- 
cient wars  with  its  rival  Florence ;  but,  how- 
ever, though  shorn  of  its  pristine  grandeur,  it 
still  retains  an  imposing  appearance,  and  offers 
much  to  interest  and  to  amuse  the  traveller. 


LETTER  IV. 

Pisa — Its  origin, —  Duomo.— BattUtereo. —  Campanile. —  I 
Campo  Santo. — Curious    freacos. — Fire  in    ihe  Hotet'-^ 
Road  to  Florence. 

Tradition  assigns  to  Pisa  an  Arcadian 
origin,  and  tells  us  it  was  founded  by  the  in- 
habitants of  its  namesake  in  Elis  ;  others,  who 
wish  to  give  it  a  still  higher  antiquity,  trace  it 
back  to  Pelops,  the  son  of  Tantalus.  It  figured 
in  the  wars  of  the  Gitelphs  and  Ghifaellines, 


1  betimes,    i 


THE  DUOMO.  23 

nd  in  1509  it  passed  under  the  yoke  of  the 
[•Medicis;  since  which  period,  with  its  freedom 
I  have  aiso  expired  its  grandeur  and  population. 
tin  the  days  of  its  glory  it  rendered  consider- 
■Able  assistance  to  tlie  Crusaders,  and  its  con- 
Lquering  fleet,  the  terror  of  the  Saracens  and 
I  the  African  corsairs,  ivrested  from  them  Sar- 
|dinia,  Palermo,  Carthage,  and  delivered  Alex- 
andria from  its  besiegers.  The  decidedly 
j/Oriental  style  that  per\'ades  the  architecture 
wof  its  highly  ornamented  edifices,  bespeaks  its 
learly  connexion  with  tlie  East;  and,  indeed, 
Lthe  curious  little  church  of  Santa  Maria  della 
f  Spina  so  exactly  resembled  some  of  the  build- 
lings  we  subsequently  saw  in  Arabia,  that  wo 
liinight  easily  have  fancied,  like  the  migratory 
iJiouse  of  Loretto,  that  it  had  flown  hitlier 
i-irom  thence  through  the  air.  In  an  insulated 
ii€»mer  of  the  city  stands  the  Duomo,  the 
I  Battistereo,  the  Campanile,  and  the  Cainpo 
l-Santo,  forming,  perhaps,  a  group  unparalleled 
■•in  beauty,  and  deriving  additional  interest 
iifrom  their  secluded  position,  and  from  the 
Mwful  silence  and  sanctified  quietude  that  pre- 
■Tail  in  their  sacred  precincts.  The  exterior  of 
he  Duomo  is  not  particularly  striking,  but  its 
'  interior  presents  a  noble  gothic  structure,  rich 
in  marble  columns  and  fine  pictures.  The 
Battistereo,  a  fine  rotunda,  resembles  an  ancient 


r 

I  tpn 


THE   CAMPANILE.— CAMl'O   SANTO. 


temple,  and  contains  a  font  so  exquisitely 
carved,  that  it  looks  like  fairy-work,  and  a  fine 
marble  pulpit,  the  chef-d'eeuvre  of  Nicolo 
Pisano.  The  singularly  graceful  Campanile, 
with  its  eight  light  and  airy  galleries  of  arches, 
is  so  peculiarly  elegant,  that,  with  Matthews, 
we  thought  it  might  well  bring  leaning  towers 
into  fashion  throughout  Christendom.  But  the 
glory  of  Pisa  is  its  unique  and  beautiful  Campo 
Santo.  The  holy  earth,  brought  from  Mount 
Calvary  by  Archbishop  Ubaldo  Laufranco,  is 
enclosed  in  a  rectangular  building,  surrounded 
by  arched  cloisters,  richly  ornamented  with  ex- 
quisite gothic  or  arabesque  tracery.  Tliis  is 
the  cemetery  of  more  than  six  hundred  illus- 
trious families,  whose  monuments  appear  on 
the  walls  and  pavement :  and  here  I  would  re- 
commend all  those  who  are  too  much  in  love* 
with  the  pomps  and  vanities  of  this  wicked  1 
world,  to  take  a  solitary  ramble,  to  "  consociate 
with  their  sister  worm,"  "  and  mingle  with  the 
dead."  I  do  assure  you,  it  would  prove  more 
beneficial  than  a  thousand  sermons,  though, 
like  myself,  I  fear,  in  returning  to  the  crowd, 
even  the  Campo  Santo  of  Pisa  would  be  J 
forgotten. 

The  tomb  of  the  Countess  Beatrice,  the  mcv  \ 
tlier  of  the  Countess  Matilda,  is  an  ancient  sar-  I 
cophagus,  covered  with  bassi  relievi.    The  walls  J 


TOMB  OF  THE  COUNTESS  BEATIUCT..  25 

of  the  edifice  are  painted  by  the  early  masters, 
Giotto,  BuiFelraacco,  Ghirlandajo,  arid  others. 
Among  these  interesting  frescos  which  are  sadly 
defaced  by  time,  the  most  striking  are  tlie  Tri- 
umphs of  Death  and  the  Last  Judgment,  by 
Andrea  Orcagna,  and  the  Infernal  Regions,  by 
his  brother  Bernardo.     In  the  first,  a  group  of 
gay  cavaliers    is    represented  as    gashing   at  a 
hideous  spectacle  of  mortiiUty,  three  bodies  in 
different  stages  of  decomposition.     The  depar- 
ture  of  the  soul  from  the  body  is   quaintly 
expressed    by   small    figures  issuing   from   the 
mouth,  as  the  dying  men  breathe  their  last 
sigh  ;  whilst,  in  the  true  Parsee  style,  good  and 
I  bad  angels  are  watching  to  seize  them,  and  one 
I  spirit  is  nearly  torn  asunder  in  mid  air  by  the 
I  contending  parties.      Demons  are  depicted  as 
I  pointing  and  hissing  at  the  expiring  persons  in 
fa  most  contemptuous  mamier;   whilst   Sin   is 
I  personified  by  the  serpent  crawling  everywhere, 
I  and  defiUng  ever)'  place  with   its  filthy  slime. 
I  The  execution  of  this  allegory  is,  perhaps,  not 
I  ec]ual  to  the  boldness  of  the  original  idea,  but 
I  Btill    there   is  a    vigour  of  conception  in  this, 
I  and  in  many  of  the  other  productions  of  the 
[  early  masters,  often  superior  to  the  polish  and 
I  refinement  of    later    artists.      Indeed,    to    the 
I  lover   of    the    beaux   arts,   Pisa  is  highly  in- 
I  leresting  as  the  cradle  where  they  were  nur- 


26 


ALARM  OF  FIRE. 


tured  and  cultivated  in  their  infant  state,  and 
from  whence  they  subsequently  emanated,  to 
arise  to  such  glorious  perfection  at  Florence 
and  Rome.  Giunto  Pisano  preceded  even 
Cimabue  and  Giotto,  who  may  be  denominated 
the  patriarchs  of  painting.  The  art  of  sculp- 
ture was  revived  by  Nicolo  Pisano,  and  bis 
sons  Giovanni  and  Andrea ;  and  of  their  skill 
in  architecture,  the  unrivalled  Campo  Santo  stilt 
affords  an  exquisite  specimen. 

About  midnight  our  slumbers  were  dis- 
turbed by  dismal  shrieks,  and  cries  of  "  al 
Juoco,  alfuocoV  and  we  beheld  from  our  win- 
dow the  whole  street  illuminated  by  a  'lurid 
light,  and  all  the  neighbourhood  on  the  qui 
vive.  To  our  anxious  enqiiiries  of  a  venerable 
priest,  who  was  gazing  from  his  casement  at 
the  fire,  as  to  wliether  the  fire  were  in  our 
neighbourhood,  we  obtained  a  calm  and  com- 
'  Sicuro."  "  Was  it  in  the  street  ?" 
"  Sicuro."  "  In  our  hotel  ?"'  "  Sicuro."  Sig- 
nore  Sicuro  was  right ;  the  fire  was  in  the 
hotel,  and  all  was  terror  and  confusion.  It  had 
originated  in  the  flame  of  a  lamp  communi- 
cating with  a  musquito-net,  and  but  for  the 
gallantry  of  some  Greeks,  who  fortunately 
were  in  the  house,  and  who,  hearing  female 
shrieks,  in  the  true  Conrad  style  rushed 


i 
■ 


J 


SAN    MINIATO.  27 

issistance  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  apartment 
I  where  the  fire  originated,  and  at  their  own 
'  personal  risk  extinguished  it,  the  albergo 
I  might  have  been  burnt  to  the  ground.  It 
I  Uppeared  to  be  our  fate  to  fall  in  with  fires, 
Ifbr  we  had  but  a  short  time  before  been  pre- 
Ivent  at  one  of  a  similar  description  at  Lau- 
[  Banne ;  and  whilst  horror-struck  we  were  gaz- 
[  ing  at  the  awful  conflagration  which  threatened 
I  to  consume  the  cathedral,  and  perhaps  the  city, 
fl  shall  not  easily  forget  a  waiter,  who  on  being 
f  told,  in  answer  to  his  enquiry'  where  some  one 
I- was,  "  1/ est  parti  r  with  hwks  of  consternation 
land  dismay,  lifted  up  his  hands  and  eyes,  and 
waculated,   "  Mon  Dieu!   et — (7 — n'a — pas — 


On  the  following  morning  we  proceeded 
ialong  the  banks  of  the  Amo  to  Florence.  The 
Icountry  is  level  and  fertile,  abounding  in  wheat 
land  vegetables,  olives,  vines,  and  mulberries, 
I  but  its  beauty  is  spoilt  by  the  minute  subdi- 
I  visions  and  the  hideous  stone  walls,  that  often 
I  totally  obscure  the  view.  We  saw  San  Mini- 
I  «to  at  a  distance,  from  whence  the  Buonaparte 
f  femily  is  said  to  have  derived  its  origin;  and 
1  we  passed  some  considerable  potteries,  where 
Iwere  earthen  jars  of  such  immense  size,  that 
hej  reminded  us  of  the  exploits  of  Morgiana's 


28  FLORENCE. 

friends  "  the  forty  thieves."  At  the  doors  of 
the  cottages  were  peasant-girls  plaiting  the 
Leghorn  straw ;  a  comely  race,  with  little  black 
beaver  hats,  ornamented  with  tremendous 
plumes  of  ostrich  feathers,  on  their  heads,  and 
their  persons  decorated  with  a  prodigious  quan- 
tity of  rings,  necklaces,  ear-rings,  &c.  We 
soon  after  reached  the  gates  of  Firenza,  la 
beUa^  and  in  this  beautiful  city  we  took  up 
our  abode  for  the  night. 


LETTER  V. 

Florence. — Piazza  del  Gran  Diica — Gallery.— Palazzo  Pitti. 
— Churches  of  San  Lorenzo  and  of  Santa  Croce. — Duomo. 
— Battistereo. — Campanile. — Museum. 

Florence,  the  Etrurian  Athens,  the  capi- 
tal of  Tuscany,  possesses  in  an  eminent  degree 
that  nameless  charm,  that  indescribable  fasci- 
nation, which  is  derived  from  the  associations 
connected  with  departed  genius.  Her  churches 
are  consecrated  to  the  imagination  by  the  ashes 
of  the  mighty  dead  which  they  contain,  whilst 
her  swelling  domes  and  splendid  palaces,  can- 
vass that  glows  and  marble  that  breathes,  show 
what  mind  has  done,  what  mind  may  do.  She 
is  rich  in  reminiscences  of  the  middle  ages,  and 


PIAZZA  DEL  GRAN  DUCA, 


In  the  broad  pavement,  bul 
An  eye  and  ear  for  th'  inar 
Tells  of  past  ag'es."' 


Not  a  stone 


Surrounded  by  a.  majestic  range  of  hills,  she 
Islands  in  a  fertile  plain,  on  tlie  banks  of  tlic 
||)oetieal  Arno,  whose  clear  and  placid  waters 
[  add  considerably  to  the  beauty  of  her  situation. 
[  If  the  beaux  arts  originated  at  Pisa,  they 
I  were  matured  and  perfected  here  ;  and  if  liberty 
['languished,  learning  and  science  flourished  un- 
I  der  the  patronage  of  the  IMedicis.  But  we 
I  must  proceed  to  the  far-famed  Gallery,  wliere, 
I  if  you  will  accompany  us,  you  will  see  some 
I  luperb  specimens  of  their  taste  and  mnnifi- 
Icence.  In  the  way  thither  you  pass  through 
I  the  Piazza  del  Gran  Duca,  where,  under  the 

■  fine  I^oggia  of  Andrea  Orcagna,  are  the  Perseus 

■  of  Henvenuto  Cellini,  the  Judith  of  Donatello, 
land  the  Rape  of  the  Sabine,  by  Giovanni  di 
I  Bologna.  Also,  an  equestrian  statue  of  Cosmo 
ll.  by  the  same  master;  Neptune,  by  Amman- 
(nato;  and  in  front  of  the  Palazzo  Vecchio,  the 

iolossal  David  of  Buonarotti,  and  the  Hercules 

'  Bandinelli.     There  are  some  curious  frescos 

■by  Vasari,  representing  many  of  the  principal 

ivents  that  took  place  during  the  republican 
Jtimes;  and  you  may  see  several  portraits  of 
§tiie    Medicis,    if  you    feel   interested    in    their 


30  VENUS  DE'  MEDICI. 


fortunes,  and  arc  disposed  to  pay  a  visit  to  the 
interior  of  the  palace,  whose  tower,  by  Amolfo 
di  Lapo,  is  esteemed  a  masterpiece  of  archi- 
tecture. Close  by,  is  the  Loggia  degl'  Uffizii, 
erected  by  Cosmo  I.  from  the  designs  of  Vasari, 
from  whence  you  enter  the  Gallery,  after  as- 
cending a  very  fatiguing  staircase.  In  a  ves- 
tibule are  several  busts  of  the  Medicis,  placed 
there  as  if  to  welcome  the  traveller  to  this 
splendid  and  magnificent  collection  of  the 
works  of  art;  but  they  have  but  little  power 
to  detain,  for  every  one  hastens  to  pay  their 
homage  to  "  the  statue  that  enchants  the 
world  ;"  probably  the  most  exquisite  personifi- 
cation of  perhaps  the  sweetest  idea  that  ever 
floated  across  a  poetical  imagination  ; 

"  The  loveliest  dream 
Thai  ever  left  tlie  sky  on  the  deep  Boul  to  beam," 

In  an  elegant  octagon  paved  with  marble, 
and  encrusted  with  mother-of-pearl,  stands,  as 
in  a  temple,  filling  the  air  around  with  beauty, 
the  celebrated  Venus  de'  Medici.  She  has  such 
indescribable  modesty  and  dignity,  such  con- 
summate grace,  that  every  other  statue  looks 
clumsy  by  her  side.  Tiie  Apollino  is  tlie  only 
one  worthy  of  her,  and  he  and  the  Venus  really 
seem  made  for  each  other ;  but  what  business 
liave  the  Knife-grinder,  the  AVrestlers,  or  even 


I 


HALL  UF  NIOBE.  3| 

he  Faun,  in  the  presence   of  the  charming 
Sueen  of  Love  and  Beauty  ?     If,  after  seeing 
B<ber,  you  can  admire  any  other  sculpture,  you 
Iwill  perhaps   be  pleased    with   the   Genius  of 
Oeath,  with  the  Mercury  of  Giovanni  di  Bo- 
lilogna,  who,  standing  on  a  Zephyr,  appears  ready 
¥to  soar  aloft  into  the  air,  and  with  tiie  sweet 
figure  of  Psyche,  who  seems  gazing  regretfidly 
iftcr  her  Cupid,  who  has  vanished   from  her 
Kennmoured  sight.    The  Hall  of  ^^iobe  is  a  most 
ftdegant  apartment,  but  the  pathos  of  the  story 
lis  totally  spoilt  by  the  tasteless  arrangement  of 
Ithe  statues,  which,  instead  of  forming  one  in- 
Iteresting  group,  are  placed  round  the  room  like 
I  BO  much  furniture.     Among  the  most  striking 
'  pictures  are  two  Holy  Families ;  La  Fornarina 
'  and  St.  John,  by  Raphael ;  an  exquisite  Virgin 
and  Child,  by  Correggio ;  the  \''enuses  of  Ti- 
tian ;  a  \''irgin  by  Guido,  and  by  that  magician 
of  painters,  Guercino,  a  Sibyl,  and  Endymion. 
In  Eastern  climes,  this  last  picture  has  frequently 
been  recalled  to  my  memory,  where  the  silvery 
crescent  of  the  moon  may  often  be  seen  sinking 
towards  the  earth  as  here  depicted.     These  are 
all  ill  the  Tribune;  but  in  the  other  cabinets,  or 
stndioli,  are  the   famous  Medusa  of  Leonardo 
da  Vinci,  the  sight  of  which  alarmed  bis  father, 
and  filled  him  with  horror  and  dread  ;  a  sweet 
Magdalen,  by  Carlo  Doke;  a  magnificent  pic- 


32 


PALACE  PITTI. 


ture  of  our  Saviour  delivering  the  Souls  in 
Purgatory,  by  Baroccio  ;  Madame  de  Sevigne 
and  the  Countess  Grignan,  by  Slignard ;  and 
with  all  "  the  liair-brain  sentimental  traces"  of 
a  poet,  Alfieri,  and  "  sua  Donna,"  the  Countess 
of  Albany.  Besides  these,  are  two  rooms  ful 
of  the  portraits  of  painters,  and  a  cabinet 
gems  rich  in  agates,  chrysolites,  and  topazes; 
statues  of  amber,  and  columns  of  alabasterf 
recalling  the  Arabian  Nights  to  the  memory. 

If  not  fatigued  with  this  enumeration,  wiH 
you  proceed  onwards  to  the  Palace  Pitti,  and 
see  the  Venus  of  Canova,  who  stands  in  an 
elegant  apartment,  hung  with  pier-glasses. 
Like  the  bashful  Slusidora,  she  seems  shrinking 
from  every  gaze,  and  casts  a  timid,  fearfully 
modest  look  around,  as  if  wishing  to  hide 
herself  from  the  garish  eye  of  day.  There  are 
also  some  magnificent  pictures  here.  The 
sweet,  the  incomparable  Madonna  della  Seggiola, 
by  Itaphael;  Bentivoglio,  by  Vandyke;  St. 
Mark,  by  Fn\  Bartolomeo ;  Catiline's  Con- 
spiracy, by  Salvator  Rosa;  and  that  sternly 
impressive  one,  by  Buonarotti,  of  the  Fates. 

Tlic  exterior  of  many  of  the  churches  in 
Florence  presents  a  strange  contrast  to  their 
highly  ornamented  interior.  Some,  San  Lo- 
renzo for  instance,  resemble  old  barns,  and  the 
traveller  is  quite  surprised  to  see  the  profusion 


roiusion  ■ 


CHUHCH  UK  SAN  LORENZO. 


33 


of  marbles  and  gorgeous  decorations  witliiii. 
I  This  church  was  buUt  by  Juliana,  and  conse- 
CTatcd  in  a.  d.  392.  It  was  rebuilt  by  Bru- 
J  nellesco.  in  1-125,  and  in  it  may  be  seen  in  a 
I  few  minutes  the  whole  history  of  the  family  of 
f  the  Medicis.  Under  a  marble  slab  sleeps  "  Cos- 
Imus  Medicis,  Decreto  Publico,  Pater  Patrjie," 
I  A  porphyry  tomb,  by  Verrecchio,  encloses  the 
I  remains  of  his  sons  Pietro  and  Giovanni,  and 
I  Lorenzo  the  Magnificent  reposes  with  his  bro- 
ither  in  one  of  bronze.  Giuliano,  the  brother 
I  of  Leo  X.  has  immortality  bestowed  on  him  in 
la  monument  by  Michael  Angelo  Buonarotti, 
Iwhose  Day  and  Night  produced  the  following 
I'lines : — 

'  La  notte  che  tu  vedi,  in  si  dolce  atto 
Dormire,  fu  da  un  Angelo  scolpita 
In  quest!  sassi ;  e  pecche  dorme,  ha  vita. 
Desta  la.  Be  no  1'  credi,  e  parleratli. 

|To  which  he  answered  : 

"  Grata  me,  e  il  suono,  e  piu  Teaser  da  Basso 
Meotre  cbe  11  danno,  e  la  vergogna  dura 
Non  veder,  non  sentir,  m"  e  gran  ventura 
Pero  non  roi  desta. — Deh,  parla  basso." 

The  monument  of  Lorenzo  Duke  of  Urbino, 

the  father  of  Catherine  de  Medicis,  is  opposite, 

ind  ornamented  with  the  unfinished  statues  of 

lawn  and  Twilight.     The  Duke  himself  sits 

>ove  in  such  deep  abstraction,  that  lie  may 

vol..  I.  D 


34 


CHAPKL  OF  THE  MEDICIS- 


serve  as  a.  personification  of  "  Thouglit,"  by 
wliich  appellation  the  figure  is  known.  The 
superb  Cliapel  of  the  Medicis,  an  octagon  lite- 
rally encrusted  with  precious  stones  and  with 
tlie  most  valuable  marbles,  is  a  splendid  in- 
stance of  the  short-sightedness  of  man.  It  was 
begun  by  Ferdinand  I.  in  l60i,  and  is  not  yet 
finished,  though  the  family  is  now  all  but  ex- 
tinct. Their  mortal  remains  are  deposited  in 
a  subterranean  vault,  awaiting  the  time  when 
their  splendid  mausoleum  shall  be  completed, 
as  they  are  then  to  be  placed  in  it.  The  Medicis 
line  is  past ;  the  present  dynasty  may  also  be 
annihilated  ere  that  period  arrives,  and  who 
will  think  of  the  merchant  Dukes  ? 

Far  more  pleasure  is  derived  from  a  visit  to 
Santa  Croce ;  "  the  ccnti-e  of  pilgrimage,  the 
Mecca  of  Italy  ;"  built  by  Arnolfo  di  Lapo,  in 
1294,  and  subsequently  repaired  by  Vasari. 
There  is  an  indescribable  charm  about  its  pre- 
cincts; a  holy  calm,  a  poetic  gloom,  that  seem 
to  raise  and  exalt  the  mind  above  "  this  dim. 
spot  which  men  call  earth."  ^fl 

"  Here  repose  ^B 

Angelo's,  Alfieri's  bone»,  and  his 
The  starry  Galileo,  with  his  woes ; 
Here  Mac.hiavelii's  earlh  returned  from  whence  it  rose." 

The  imagination  is  engrossed  not  only  with 
those  that  sleep  around,  but  also  with  those 


A 


THE  DL'OMU  OF  FLiJKENCE, 


35 


I'that  have  celebratecJ  their  illustrious  predcces- 
I  BOrs ;  we  admire  their  admiration,  and  as  Byron 
linounied  for  Corinna,  for  her  "  whose  elo- 
Iquence  was  poured  over  these  illustrious  ashes, 
land  whose  voice  is  now  as  mute  as  those  she 
I'sung ;"  so  must  we  lament  that  master-spirit 
I  of  the  age,  and  find  no  words  so  tit  as  his 
"ains  to  describe  our  feelings  for  Italy  and 
himself. 

The  Duomo  is  a  fine  structure ;  its  cupola, 

by  Brunellesco,    if  not    equal    to    that   of  St. 

Peter's,  was  its  prototype  and  predecessor.     It 

inspired  Michael  Angelo,   who  desired  to   be 

i*buried  where  it  might  be  seen  from  his  tomb. 

■  This  cathedral   ranks    amongst  the  finest  in 

lEurope  for  magnitude,  grandeur,  and  boldness. 

lit  was  begun  by  Amolfo,  in  1294,  and  com- 

Ipleted  ill  1445.     The  light  and  airj-  Campanile, 

(oicrusted  with  black  and  white  marble,  was  so 

nuch  admired  by  Charles  V.  that  he  declared 

t  should  be  kept  in  a  case,  and  only  shown  on 

lolidays.     Tlie  bronze  gates  of  the  Battistereo, 

■  Ghiberti,  were  deemed  by  Michael  Angelo 

irorthy  to  be  those  of  Paradise.     It  is  an  oc- 

ingular  building,  and  on  the  mosaic  pavement 

i  the  following  inscription,  wliich  reads  Ijack- 

ivards  and  forwards  the  same  : 


'  En  giro  ii 


:,  Sol  ciclos  e 
D    2 


rotor  >^ne. 


J 


36  MUSEUM.— LEAVE  FLORENCE. 

The  churches  of  Santa  Maria  Nuova,  which 
Buonarotti  termed  "  his  spouse,"  of  S  S.  Annun- 
ziata,  San  Spirito,  Del  Carmine,  and  several 
others,  deserve  a  visit  if  you  have  time ;  and  in 
the  Museum  is  a  horribly  fine  collection  of 
anatomical  subjects  in  wax;  but  those  must 
have  strong  nerves,  who  could  view  them 
without  shuddering  and  turning  away  with  dis- 
gust ;  and  there  are  some  representations  of  the 
plague,  so  painfully  distressing,  that  it  is 
scarcely  possible  to  refrain  from  tears  whilst 
viewing  them.  But  we  must  no  longer  linger 
at  Florence,  attractive  and  lovely  as  she  is ; 
we  must  onwards  on  our  journey.  //  faut 
marcher. 


LETTER  VI. 

Sienna. — Duomo.— Piazza  Publico. — R?idicofani.— Monte- 
fiascone. — Campagna  di  Roma. — Entrance  of  Rome. 

We  left  fair  Florence  with  regret,  and  pro- 
ceeded along  a  very  fine  country,  passing  Cas- 
ciano  and.  Tavemelle,  to  Poggibonsi,  where, 
in  the  Royal  palace,  "  that  old  den,  high  up 
among  the  trees,"  two  of  the  Medicis,  Isabella 
the  daughter,  and  Eleanor  of  Castile  the  niece 
and  daughter-in-law,  of  Cosmo  I.  were  murder- 
ed by  their  respective  husbands.     Night  closed 


SIENNA.  yt 

rin,  and  we  had  some  unpleasant  floundering  in 
I  and  out  of  ditches,  before  we  reached  Sienna, 
P  the  capital  of  the  once  fruitful  and  populous, 
I  now  deserted  and  pestiferous  Maremma.     It  is 
I  pleasantly  situated  on  in  eminence  among  hills ; 
I  Uie  air  is  fine,  and  the  language  spoken  here  is 
I  considered  the  purest  in  Italy.     The  Cathedral, 
I  m  fine  gothic  edifice,  with  a  highly  ornamented 
I  exterior,  was  begun  about  1281,  by  Giovanni 
I  Pisani,  and  finislied  in  1333,  by  Agostino  and 
I  Agnolo,  Siennese  architects.     The  pavement  is 
I  Covered  with  curious  mosaics,  and  the  nave  is 
I  ornamented  with  the  busts  of  several  Popes, 
I  the  predecessors  of  Alexander  HI. ;  and  report 
says  our  countrywoman,  the  damsel  Pope  Joan, 
once   held    her    place   among    these   worthies, 
I  though  she  now  no  longer  retains  her  station 
there.     The  Piazza  Publics  is  in  the  singular 
I  shape  of  a  shell,  or  rather  of  a  fan  ;  and  in  the 
Palazzo  Publico  are  some  curious  old  frescos, 
I'  of  the  school  of  Giotto,  representing  the  man- 
ners  and    costumes    of  the    day,    and    several 
events  in  the  life  of  Alexander  III.,  who  was 
bom  here,  as  were  also  Pius  II.  Pius  III.  and 
I  Paul  V.  and  St.  Catherine.     From  Sienna  our 
I  load    passed    over  barren,    dreary,    and    appa- 
I  rently  interminable  hills,  and  wc  had  the  plea- 
I  sure  of  encountering  so  violent  a  tempest,  that 
I  we  literally  expected  to  have  the  carriage  blown 


38 


ILVDICOFANI 


Over,  At  a  distance  we  saw  Mont  Alcino  and 
Monte  Pulciano,  famous  for  its  wine,  "  che 
eT  ogni  vino  e  il  Re."  At  Buon  Convento,  the 
Emperor  Henry  VII.  was  poisoned  by  a  Do- 
minican monk,  whilst  taking  the  Sacrament ; 
and  near  San  Quirico  are  the  Baths  of 
St.  Philip,  where  excellent  casts  are  taken, 
which  are  formed  by  its  waters,  when  precipi- 
tated upon  moulds  of  medals,  depositing  a  fine 
calcareous  tufo.  We  at  last  reached  Radico- 
fani,  situated  2470  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
Mediterranean,  where,  in  an  inconceivably  wild 
and  desolate  spot,  stands  an  albergo,  which  was 
formerly  a  hunting-seat  of  one  of  the  Grand 
Dukes  of  Florence,  and  which,  from  its  ram- 
bling and  forlorn  appearance,  seems  admirably 
adapted  for  tiie  abode  and  lurking-place  of  ban- 
ditti, and  for  the  scene  of  the  adventures  of  the 
heroine  of  a  romance.  The  tempest  howled 
without ;  the  wind  whistled  through  the  im- 
mense saloons,  and  mournfully  sighed  through 
the  dark  passages;  the  rain  beat  furiously  against 
the  windows,  and  in  addition  to  all  this,  our 
chimney  smoked  !  'We,  however,  escaped  with- 
out being  either  robbed  or  murdered,  and  de- 
scending the  mountain,  we  soon  entered  the 
dominions  of  the  Papal  See  ;  where,  our  lasciar 
jMssare  not  being  arrived,  \ve  imderwent  the 
ceremony  of  having  our  baggage  plumbed  at. 


the  Doudne.  Acqua  Pendente  is  romantically 
situated  near  water,  and  among  banging  rocks 
fringed  with  wood.  In  the  neighbourhood  of 
San  Lorenzo  Nuovo,  the  tufo  rocks  are  curious- 
ly perforated  with  caverns.  Close  to  the  road 
is  a  curious  basaltic  rock,  with  regular  prisma- 
tic columns,  hexagonal  and  flattened  at  botli 
ends ;  and  we  saw  several  trees,  partly  burnt 
down,  and  still  remaining  in  a  cliarred  state, 
which  was  the  detennined  and  energetic  me- 
thod the  French  took  to  clear  the  country  of 
banditti,  who  formerly  made  this  part  their 
resort,  but  who,  it  is  said,  still  find  a  refuge 
and  a  nestling-place  in  the  ruins  of  San  Lo- 
renzo \'ecchio.  Marble  columns  strewed  on 
the  ground,  and  otlier  magnificent  reaiains  of 
antiquity,  bespeak  the  modem  but  insignifi- 
cant town  of  Bolsena,  once  the  ancient  \'oIsi- 
nium,  to  have  been  formerly  a  place  of  im- 
portance ;  and  on  the  bosom  of  its  lake  are 
two  small  islands,  Uesendina  and  Martona* 
which,  according  to  tradition,  floated  in  the 
time  of  Pliny.  On  the  latter,  Amalasuitha, 
Queen  of  the  Goths,  was  strangled  by  the  com- 
mand of  her  husband;  but  notwithstanding 
this  bloody  story,  I  could  not  lielp  exclaiming, 

"  Oh,  had  HC  those  bright  little  isles  of  our  own  !" 

when   we   looked   down   on    them    from   ihc 


40  VITERBO. 

commanding  heights  of  Montefiascone.  It  was 
at  this  place  tliat  a  jovial  German  prelate 
lost  his  life,  in  consequence  of  drinking  too 
largely  of  the  delicious  Muschat  wine  made 
here  ;  and  his  domestic,  who  generally  preceded 
liim,  and  marked  "  Est,  est,"  in  those  places 
where  the  liquor  was  good,  inscribed  on  hig 
tomb, 

"  Eat,  est," 
"  Propter  nimium  est,  est, 
Dominus  meus  mortuus  est." 

We  crossed  an  extensive  plain  to  Viterb<^ 
the  chief  town  of  the  patrimony  of  St.  Peter, 
which  stands  at  the  base  of  Mount  Cimino; 
and  here,  in  the  old  cathedral,  is  a  fine  chapel* 
dedicated  to  St.  Valentine,  the  patron  saint, 
I  presume,  of  all  the  would-be  wits  of  the 
14th  of  February,  and  the  stone  on  which  he 
suffered  martyrdom  is  still  preser\'ed  and  ex- 
hibited. After  traversing  the  beautifully  wood- 
ed scenery  of  Mount  Cimino,  we  came  upon 
the  enchanting  little  Lake  of  Vico,  three  miles 
in  circumference,  and  which,  though  once  said, 
to  have  been  the  crater  of  a  volcano,  now  ex- 
hibits a  scene  of  exquisite  loveliness.  Rond- 
glione,  a  dark  sombre-looking  town,  built  of 
tufo,  looks  up  a  pretty  little  valley,  watered, 
by  the  Tereia ;  and  soon  after  passing  IV 
terosi,  we  came  to — 


APPROACH  TO  HOME.  41 

'  Where  Campag^a's  plain  forsaken  lies 
A  weary  waste  expanding  to  the  skies." 

It  has  a  wild  and  desolate  appearance,  as  if 
neither  foot  of  man  or  beast  had  passed 
through  it  for  years  ;  but  the  very  solitude  has 
something  sublime  in  it,  and  more  suited  to 
the  present  widowed  state  of  Rome,  where 
she  sits  "  the  Niobe  of  nations,"  than  palaces 
and  triumphal  arches.  There  is  but  one  Rome 
in  the  world,  and  the  peculiarity  of  the  ap- 
proach strikes  the  imagination  far  more  forcibly 

1  than  the  ordinary  purlieus  of  a  city ;    one  or 

[  two  ruined  towers  are  alone  to  be  seen,  in  which 
*  the  fox  looks  out  of  the  window,  and  the 

I  thistle  shakes  its  lonely  head-;"  yet  the  soil 
teems  with  luxuriancy,  and  the  very  weeds 
have  a  singular  fertility,  rankness,  and  grandeur 
in  their  appearance,  and  seem  as  if  caressing  tlie 

I  Boil  which  was  formerly  the  scene  of  so  many 
noble  and  illustrious  transactions.     As  Madame 

'  de  Stael  elegantly  observes,  a  land  which  has 
witnessed  so  much  glory,  would  be  asliamed 
now  of  being  useful.  Like  the  awfid  stillness 
tliat    precedes    a    storm,  so  does    the    soHtari- 

'  ness  and  desolation  around  prepare  the  mind 

I  for— Rome. 

After  passing  the  lonely  post-houses  of  La 
Storta  and  Baccano,  a  turn  in  the  road  brought 

L  us  upon  "  the  Eternal  City."     Her  columns^ 


obelisks,    swelling    domes  and    palaces,    burst 
upon  us ;  every  spot  was  classic  ground,  and  we 
crossed   tlie    celebrated    Tiber    by    tlie    Ponte 
MoUe,   in   whose   neighbourbood   Constantine 
beheld  his  famous  vision  of  the  miraculous  ap- 
parition  of  the  luminous  cross  in  the  air,  and 
where  he   subsequently    defeated  Maxentius, 
which  event  produced  the  conversion  of  the  , 
Emperor,  and  caused   Christianity  to  become)  I 
the  religion  of  the  Roman  empire  and  of  thftj 
civilized  world. 

The  entrance  to  Rome  is  very  striking.     Ooi 
one  side  stands  the  Chiesa  di  Santa  Maria  dd  | 
Fopolo,  erected  on  the  site  of  tlie  family  bu- 
rial-place of  Domitian;   on  the  other  is  the  1 
Custom-house.     In  the  front  is   the  Egyptian 
Obelisk,  the  first  ever  sfeen  at  Rome,  the  work- 
manship of  Seiuieserteus,  or  Psammuthis,  the 
son  of  Nccho,  who  flourished  522  years  before 
the  Christian  lera,  and  whose  name  is  inscribed 
among  the  hieroglyphics.     It  was  brought  from 
Heliopolis  by  Augustus,  who  placed  it  as  the 
gnomon  of  a  dial  in  the  Circus  Maximus ;  and  | 
its  subsequent  erection  in  its  present  position, 
by  Sextus  V.  was  not  accomplished  till  after 
years  of  preparation,  and  till  after  all  the  wits 
of  all  the  men  of  science  in  Europe  had  been 
consulted  and  employed  in  effecting  the  wished, 
for  object.     From  this,  as  from  a  common  cen- 


ROME.  43 

tre,  branch  off,  like  the  radii  of  a  circle,  the 
Corso,  leading  to  the  Capitol,  the  Strada  del 
Babbuino,  and  the  Strada  di  Ripetta,  with  the 
twin  churches  at  the  place  from  whence  they 
di%'erge.  Every  nation  seems  to  have  sent  a 
deputy  here  to  commemorate  itself.  The  Ca- 
pitol recalls  the  glories  of  Ancient,  the  churches 
remind  us  of  the  splendour  of  Modern  Rome : 
the  Pincian  Hill,  with  its  prettinesses  and  neat- 
nesses, is  characteristic  of  the  French  ;  whilst 
the  cosmopolite  Englishman  may  be  seen  wan- 
dering every  where,  unrestrained  by  Swiss 
guards  and  Austrian  troops. 


LETTER  VII. 

Rome.— Coliseum — CapUol.-St.  Peter's.— The  Vatican.— 
The  Pantheon.  —  Fine  PaiudngH  and  Sculpture  in  the 
Palaces  and  Churches. — Ancient  CbrUtians. — Fountains. 
—Obelisks. 

I  SHOULD  not  envy  the  feelings  of  that  per- 
son who  could,  without  a  quickened  pulse  and 
beating  heart,  first  mount  the  Capitol,  or  view 
the  Forum.  Though  now,  as  in  the  days  of 
jEneas  and  the  good  king  Evander,  cattle 
again  low  in  places  which  once  resounded  with 
the  eloquence    of   Cicero ;  yet  tlicre  does  the 


44  THE  COUSEUM. 

genius  of  Ancient  Rome  still  seem  to  preside, 
and  every  spot  in  the  vicinity  abounds  with 
interesting  reminiscences.  The  majestic  Coli- 
seum, 


"  Which  in  its  public  days  i 
And  held,  uncrowded,  na 


n peopled  Rome, 
ions  in  its  womb," 


still  stands,  thougli  in  ruins,  a  nohle  specimai 
of  the  magnificent  ideas  of  the  Romans.  It 
was  erected  by  Vespasian,  on  the  site  of  the 
fish-ponds  of  Nero,  and  was  so  termed  from  a 
colossal  statue  of  the  latter  Emperor,  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  feet  high,  in  the  character 
of  Apollo,  which  was  placed  there  by  Titus. 
Gladiatorial  shows  were  exhibited  in  this  am- 
phitheatre till  the  year  404,  when  an  eastern 
monk,  Almachius,  or  Telemachus,  rushing  into 
the  area  to  endeavour  to  separate  the  com- 
batants, was  slain  in  consequence  by  the  orders 
of  the  Prtetor  Alypius.  He  was,  however,  sub- 
sequently canonized,  and  these  inhuman  shows 
were  abolished  by  Honorius.  The  building  was 
standing  nearly  perfect  when  visited  by  Saxon 
pilgrims,  who  connected  its  fate  with  that  of 
Rome,  and  Rome  with  that  of  the  world  ;  but 
the  edifice  spared  by  barbarians,  and  by  the 
hand  of  time,  was  dismantled  and  ruined,  to 
erect  palaces  at  a  comparatively  recent  period, 
by  modern  Ckiths  and  Vandals. 

On  the  Palatine  Mount,  which,  in  the 


t  period,    ^^^ 
he  early  ^^H 


\TEW   FROM  THE  CAPITOI. 


45 


a^es  of  the  Homan  empire,  constituted  both 
its  cradle  and  its  boundary,  whilst,  in  its  davs 
of  grandeur,  its  limits  were  found  too  confined 
for  the  golden  house  of  Nero,  now  nought 
remains  of  its  gorgeous  splendour,  but  frag- 
ments of  columns  strewn  about  in  all  di- 
rections, choked  up  vaults,  and  subterra- 
nean frescos ;  and  at  this  period  '*  The  spider 
spreads  the  veil  in  the  palace  of  the  C«sars, 
,  and  the  owl  stauds  sentinel "  on  the  Imperial 
Mount. 

In  its  neighbourhood  are  the  Triumphal 
Arches  of  Titus,  Constantine,  and  Severus,  with 
many  elegant  columns,  the  graceful  vestiges  of 
fallen  fanes  and  forsaken  temples. 

Ascending  the  tower  of  the  Capitol,  a  most 
interesting  panoramic  view  presents  itself  from 
thence  of  the  ancient  and  modern  hills  which 
give  Rome  so  picturesque  an  appearance.  The 
Palatine,  now  one  shapeless  mass  of  ruins ;  the 
Avcntine,  where  Hercules  slew  the  robber 
Cacas  in  his  cavern ;  the  Esquiline,  where 
dwelt  that  patron  of  learning,  Miecenas,  and  the 
poets  Horace,  Tibulhis,  and  Propcrtiiis ;  the 
Cffilian,  Quirinal,  and  Viminal  Hills,  with  the 
Janiculum,  Vatican,  and  Pincian,  and  the 
modern  and  artificial  Monti  Testaceo  and  Cito- 
rio.  Intermingled  with  swelling  domes  appear 
obelisks  cleaving  the  air  like  pillars  of  tire ;  the 


THE  CAPITOL.— MUSEUM. 

lofty  Columns  of  Trajan  and  of  Marcus  Aure- 
lius,  and  the  mighty  masses  of  the  stupendous 
remains  of  the  Thermte  of  Titus,  Caracalla,  and 
Diocletian.  In  the  court  below,  which  is  en- 
closed by  the  Museum  and  the  Palaces  of  the 
Senators  and  the  Conservator!,  is  the  spirited 
equestrian  statue  of  Marcus  Aurelius,  with 
which  Michael  Angelo  was  so  struck,  that 
when  he  first  beheld  it,  he  involuntarily  ex-\ 
claimed,  "camraina!"  Entering  the  Museum, 
is  Marforio,  formerly  the  witty  respondent  of 
the  caustic  and  sarcastic  Pasquin,  whose  statue 
still  retains  its  station  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
Palazzo  Braschi;  and  in  the  galleries  are  the 
Dying  Gladiator,  the  exquisitely  beautiful 
Cupid  and  Psyche,  Cupid  bending  his  bow,, 
the  shrivelled  Hecuba,  smiling  Innocence  v/itH} 
a  dove,  and  the  brazen  Wolf,  "  tlie  thundCTJ 
stricken  nurse  of  Rome."  There  is  also 
collection  of  pictures,  and  an  interesting  assem- 
blage of  the  busts  of  tlie  illustrious  dead ;  the* 
magnificent  idea  of  Cannva,  who  tluis  paid  A. 
superb  tribute  to  departed  genius  of  all  nations, 
by  proposing  to  the  Pope  the  installing  tbeia 
after  death  in  the  Capitol. 

I  must  not  allow  you  to  quit  the  Capitol', 
without  introducing  you  into  the  Mamertine 
dungeons,  where  St.  Peter  and  St.  Paul  were;- 


«4 


RAPHAEL'S  SKIILI.  47 

f  imprisoned ;  and  to  the  Academy  of  Sl  Luke, 
r  where  is  a  splendid  picture  of  that  Apostle  by 
I  Raphael,  beaming  with  genius  and  inspiration  ; 
I  and  as  you  are  a  craniologist,  or  phrenologist, 
I  you  may  exercise  your  skill  upon  his  skull, 
I'Which  is  here  shown,  and  you  can  point  out 
Ifor  the  benefit  of  the  uninitiated  and  unlearned, 
Iwhat  peculiar  bump  or  organ  gave  rise  to  the 
li  glorious  performances  of  that  unrivalled  painter. 
I  The  Tarpeian  Rock  is  in  this  inunediate  neigh- 
ibouriiood,  but  its  ancient  height  is  so  dimi- 
Lsished,  that  it  no  longer  wears  a  ftHmidable 
■appearance.  Not  far  from  thence  is  the  spot 
liwhere  Romulus  and  Remus  were  exposed,  also 
■the  Arch  of  Janus,  and  the  Cloaca  Maxima, 
I  the  wonderful,  and  almost  the  only  remains 
•  of  regal  Rome,  which  magnificent  sewer  was 
I  constructed  by  Tarquinius  Priscus.  Into 
I  this  a  small  limpid  stream  discharges  itself, 
I -which  tradition  reports  to  be  the  Lake  of 
Ljutuma,  where  Castor  and  Pollux  watered 
|4heir  horses  after  the  battle  at  the  Lucus 
|B^llus. 

In  the  way  to  St.  Peter's  you  cross  the  bridge 
[■  and  pass  the  Castle  of  San  Angelo,  which  is  so 
[-  called  from  the  angel  of  bronze  at  the  top,  and 
I  which  was  built  by  Adrian  for  his  own  mau- 
I  soleum,  though    now  converted  into  a  prison 


4s  ST.  PETEU'S. 

for  malefactors.  Two  majestic  porticos  swc^ 
around,  and  form  a  noble  approach  to  perhaps 
the  grandest  building  in  the  world.  Between 
fountains  that  unceasingly  play,  stands  the 
Obelisk  of  Nuncoreus,  the  son  of  Sesostria, 
which  was  brouglit  to  Rome  from  HcliopoUs 
by  Caligula,  and  erected  in  its  present  situ- 
ation by  Sextus  V.  The  talents  of  Corinne 
alone  could  do  justice  to  St.  Peter's;  for  in  its 
immensity,  its  sublimity,  and  its  beauty,  it  so 
far  transcends  all  other  edifices,  that  I  feel 
that  no  description  of  mine  could  convey  any 
adequate  idea  of  its  magnificence.  The  walls* 
that  glow  with  the  richest  marbles,  the  swelling 
dome,  the  noble  statues,  the  fine  pictures,  the 
richly  ornamented  altars,  positively  overwhelm 
the  senses  ;  whilst  the  even  temperature  of  the  , 
atmosphere,  the  lamps  always  burning,  the 
swells  of  music  that  occasionally  fall  upon  the 
ear,  the  fragrant  incense  wafted  around,  give 
the  impression  that  it  is  an  edifice  of  enchant- 
ment, and,  as  you  wander  about,  you  half  ex- 
pect to  wake,  and  to  find  it  is  a  delightful 
dream.  In  this  temple,  "  worthiest  of  God, 
the  holy  and  the  true,"  processions  of  religious 
orders  are  constantly  seen  worshipping  at  the 
different  shrines ;  the  monk  and  the  friar  silently 
stealing  through  the  distance ;  the  pilgrim, 
"  with  cockle-shell  and  sandal  shoon, 


THE  VATrCAN.  49 

fwitli  the  warmest  devotion  the  foot  of  St. 
IPeter;  and  the  penitent  humbly  kneeling  at 
J  the  confessional,  and  pouring  out  his  sorrows 
land  his  sins  to  liis  unseen  spiritual  director; 
lall  of  which  considerably  add  to  the  effect  of 
I  the  tout  ensemble. 

In  the  A'atican  are  the  celebrated  frescos  of 
iRaphael,  in  the  Loggia  and  the  Camere  which 
I  bear  his  name  :  the  latter  are  four  rooms  Ute- 
llBlly  covered  with  the  finest  paintings  in  the 
■  world.  The  Sala  di  Constantine  records  tlie 
1  deeds  of  Constantine — the  miraculous  appari- 
I  tion  of  the  cross  to  him,  previous  to  his  battle 
I  with  Maxentius,  in  A.D.  312  ;  —  the  battle  it- 
I self;— his  baptism,  and  his  donation  of  the 
I  patrimony  of  the  Church.  In  the  next  apart- 
lUient,  La  Sala  di  Eliodoro,  are  the  Angels  ap- 
I  pearing  to  Heliodorus  in  the  Temple;  t!ie  Mira- 
\  cle  of  liolsena ;  Saint  Peter  and  Saint  Paul 
[  arresting  the  progress  of  Attila,  and  the  Angel 
I  delivering  Saint  Peter  out  of  prison.  La  Sala 
I  dellaScuoladi  Atene,  contains  that  fine  picture, 
tin  which  Raphael  has  introduced  himself  con- 
I  versing  with  his  master  Perugino ;  the  Csu-dinal 
j  Virtues ;  Mount  Parnassus,  and  the  Dispute  of 
I  the  Holy  Sacrament.  The  fourth,  or  Sala  del' 
I  Incendio,  contains  the  dreadful  fire  of  Uome 
I  in  the  time  of  Leo  IV.;  his  victory  over  the 
I  Saracens  at  Ostia ;  the  Coronation  of  Charle- 

VOL.    I.  E 


50  TIIF.  VATICAN. 

magne,  by  Leo  III.,  and  the  same  Prelate 
clearing  himself  of  the  crimes  laid  to  his  charge, 
These  frescos,  as  well  as  those  in  the  Loggia, 
which  consist  of  Scripture  subjects,  are  much 
injured  by  time,  as  well  as  by  the  barbarity  of 
the  soldiers  of  the  Duke  of  Burgundy,  whol 
used  tliese  apartments  as  barracks  at  the  sack-  ' 
ing  of  Rome  in  the  time  of  Charles  V.;  but 
enough  still  remains  to  show  they  are  invalu- 
able and  inimitable.  In  the  Sistine  Chapel  is 
the  celebrated  Last  Judgment  of  Michael  An- 
gela, and  some  superb  Sibyls  and  Prophets  by 
the  same  master.  In  the  apartments  above  are 
some  of  the  finest  easel  paintings  in  existence  — 
the  Transfiguration  by  Raphael;  the  Madonna  di 
Foligno  and  the  Communion  of  Saint  Jerome 
by  Domenichino.  After  these  you  will  scarcely 
vouchsafe  a  glance  on  the  other  pictures,  mag- 
nificent as  they  are,  and  would  be  in  any  other 
collection  ;  but  as  a  loyal  subject,  you  must  pay 
your  homage  to  our  Monarch  George  IV. 
whose  portrait,  by  Sir  Thomas  Lawrence,  is 
installed  in  the  Vatican.  It  is  a  curious  situa- 
tion for  the  first  Protestant  Monarch  in  the 
world,  but  it  is  a  high  compliment  to  the 
talents  of  the  artist,  that  his  performance  wa»| 
deemed  worthy  of  being  placed  in  the  same 
collection  with  the  chej'-d'oeuvres  of  Raphael. 
The  cicerone  informed  us  the  Pope  was  some- 


^ 


THF.  VATICAN.  51 

'  what  surprised  to  find  he  had  a  thousand  gui- 
neas to  pay  for  this  picture,  as    this  modern 
Msecenas    intended   it   should  have  been  pre- 
I  sented  to  him. 

After  traversing  an  almost  interminable  cor- 
l  ridor,  a  flight  of  steps  leads  to  a  cabinet  in  the 
I  Jliiseo  Pio  Clementino,  where  is  the  celebrated 
I  Belvedere  Torso;  and  passing  onwards  to  a 
court  surrounded  by  a  portico,  with  an  elegant 
[  little  temple  in  each  angle,  in  one  of  them  you 
I  will  find  "  the  god  of  life,  of  poesy,  and  light," 
I  the  superb,  the  magnificent,  the  incomparably 
[■elegant  Apollo! — the  Perseus  of  Canova,  the 
I  Belvedere  Antinous,  or  Meleager,  and  the  far- 
I  femed  Laocoon  occupy  the  other  vestibules. 
I  The  Muses,  in  the  hall  that  bears  their  name, 
rare  very  fine,  and  one  of  them  is  inspiration 
jelf,  and  seems  just  writing  down, 

"  Thoughts  that  breathe,  and  words  that  burn." 

I  The  long  geographical  gallery  terminates  in 
L  the  chambers  hung  with  tapestry,  after  the 
designs  of  Raphael,  seven  of  whose  Cartoons, 
which  were  painted  for  this  express  purpose, 
are  now  in  England.  Our  Saviour  issuing 
from  the  Tomb  is  incomparable!  This  was  a 
mere  passeggiato  through  the  Vatican,  for  we 
were  too  much  limited  for  time  to  bestow  more 
than  a  glance  en  jxtssant  on  many  objects, 
E  2 


52  THE  PANTHEON. 

which  merited  as  many  days  as  we  had  minutes 
to  spare  for  observation. 

As  we  returned  to  our  hotel,  we  stopped  to 
view  the  magnificent  Pantheon,  which  was 
erected  by  Agrippa,  and  repaired  by  Severus 
and  Caracalla.  The  bronze  with  which  the 
ceiling  was  originally  cased  was  taken  away  by 
Urbin  VIII.  to  make  the  baldachino  of  Saint 
Peter's,  and  the  cannon  of  Saint  Angelo,  and  of 
him  it  was  said  in  consequence — "  Quod  non 
fecerunt  Barbari  Romas,  fecit  Barberini."  It  is 
probably  the  most  perfect  specimen  remaining 
of  an  ancient  temple,  and  it  is  not  easy  to 
describe  the  grand,  the  imposing  effect  of  this 
majestic  edifice. 

If  the  traveller  have  time  to  bestow  upon 
the  exquisite  paintings  in  the  numerous  private 
collections,  he  will  be  much  pleased  with  those 
in  the  Borghese,  Corsini,  and  Doria  Palaces; 
with  Guidons  celebrated  fresco  of  the  Dawn 
of  Day,  which  is  truly  embodied  poetry,  and 
which  may  be  seen  in  the  Casino  Rospigliosi; 
and  also  with  those  in  the  Famesina,  where 
are  the  Galatea  of  Raphael,  and  the  beautiful 
fable  of  Cupid  and  Psyche,  which  is  painted 
on  the  ceiling  from  his  designs,  together  with 
the  famous  Black  head  of  Michael  Angelo  in 
an  adjoining  room.  The  innumerable  churches 
also  deserve  attention ;  the  walls  and  pavements 


DECOItATlON  OF  THE  CUfRCUES. 


I  glow  with  the  richest  marble,  und  their  ceilings 
I  are  often  painted  by  the  first  masters.     Highly 
lomamented  chapels,  splendid  altars,  and  mag- 
IniBcent  altar-pieces,  exquisitely  carved  shrines, 
Ifine  mosaics,  noble  frescos,  stately  baldequins, 
nd  superb  monuments,  are  to  be  found  in 
many  and   in  most,  besides  several   beautiful 
[Mctures   and  choice  specimens  of  sculpture. 
|.The  statues  of  our  Saviour  and  of  Moses,  by 
Blichael  Angelo  Buonarotti,  are  to  be  seen  in 
he  churches  of  Santa  Maria  sopra  Minerva, 
nd    San    Pietro   in    Vincoli;    that   of    Jonah, 
•om  the  designs  of  Raphael,  in  the  Chiesa  di 
iant^t  Maria  del  Popolo;  whilst  the  Archangel 
'  Michael,  by  Guide,  in  the  church  of  the  Ca- 
puchins is  termed  "the  Apollo  of  painting." 

Besides  its  classical  attractions,  Rome  is  con- 
secrated to  the  Christian  traveller,  from  having 
been  the  scene  of  the  labours  and  of  the  siifter- 
ings  of  several  of  the  Holy  Apostles.  St.  Peter 
was  crucified  on  tlie  spot  where  the  sacristy 
bearing  his  name  now  stands :  St.  John  was 
cast  into  a  cauldron  of  boiling  oil  near  the  La- 
teran;  and  St.  Paul,  "  who  dwelt  here  two  whole 
years  in  his  own  hired  house,  and  received  all 
that  came  to  him,"  was  beheaded  alle  tre  Foiitane, 
Many  of  the  early  Christians  sought  refuge 
during  the  bloody  persecutions  of  the  Roman 
emperors   in   the  gloomy  defiles  and  recesses 


54  REFLECTIONS. 

of  the  Catacombs  ;  and  surely  nothing,  even  in 
tlie  most  heroic  period  of  the  annals  of  Rome, 
can  compete  with  the  wonderful  magnanimity, 
the  fortitude,  and  pious  resignation  with  which 
these  holy  men  endured  tortures  worse  than 
death,  and  resigned  "  the  pomps  and  vanities 
of  this  wicked  world,"  with  all  that  mates  life 
dear,  for  the  sake  of  their  religion.  Ah,  why 
have  such  touching,  such  interesting,  such  affect- 
ing incidents,  been  deprived  of  their  instruct- 
ive patlios  by  the  monstrous  inventions  and 
absurdities  superadded  by  the  monks  ? — But 
1  am  growing  serious,  and  you  have  yet  to  ad- 
mire the  foimtains  of  Rome,  which,  with  their 
noble  cascades  and  copious  streams,  give  such 
an  air  of  originality  to  the  city.  The  Fontana 
Paolina,  di  Trevi,  dl  Termini,  with  those  in  the 
Piazza  Navona,  and  the  Piazza  Barberini,  are 
truly  magnificent,  whilst  the  agreeable  sound 
of  the  murmurs  of  their  waters,  falUng  on  the 
ambient  air,  soothes  and  delights  the  listen- 
ing ear. 

Besides  the  Obelisk  in  the  Piazza  del  Popolo, 
and  tliat  in  front  of  St.  Peter's,  there  are  two 
small  ones,  which  once,  it  is  thouglit,  stood 
before  the  Temple  of  Isis  and  Serapis,  and 
are  now  erected,  one  in  front  of  the  Pantheon, 
and  the  other,  elevated  on  an  elephant,  before 
the  Church    of   Santa   Maria   sopra  Minerva. 


^ 


OBELISKS. 


55 


I 


That  which  now  ornaments  the  fountain  of 
the  Piazza  Navona,  was  found  in  the  Circus 
of  Caracalla,  and  one  on  tlie  Pincian  Hill  in 
the  Circus  of  Sallust.  The  obelisk,  which  is  on 
Mount  Citorio,  is  attributed  to  Sesostris,  or 
his  son,  whose  names  are  both  inscribed  upon 
the  surface.  That  in  front  of  Santa  Maria 
Maggiore,  between  tlie  equestrian  statues  of 
Castor  and  Pollux,  of  red  granite,  forty-three 
feet  high,  without  the  pedestal,  was  brought 
to  Rome  by  Claudius,  and  was  originally 
placed  at  the  entrance  of  the  mausoleum  of 
Augustus.  There  is  another,  in  the  grounds 
of  the  Villa  Mattei,  and  one  still  lies  prone 
on  the  ground,  in  one  of  tlie  courts  of  the 
Palace  of  the  Vatican. 


LETTER  VIII. 

Departure     from     Rome.  —  Albano.  —  Vellelri.  —  Pontine 
Marabes.  ^TerracJna.  —  Fondi.  —  Capua.  —  Averaa. 

On  the  15th    of  November,    we  again   set 
I  forth   on   our  journey,  and   proceeded    along 
[  the    Via    Felice,    over    the    Esquiline,    Vimi- 
nal,    and     Ca^lian     Hills,    passing     the    mag- 
nificent  Basilica  of    Santa    JIaria    Maggiore, 
and  San  Giovanni  in   Laterano ;  which  latter 


56  OBELISK.  OF  RAMESES. 

is  termed  tlie  Mother  Church  of  Rome.  In 
its  neighbourhood  are  the  Baptistery  of  Con- 
stantine,  which  is  a  fine  octagonal  building, 
containing  an  immense  font :  the  Triciinium  of 
St.  Leo,  and  the  Holy  Staircase,  up  which,  for 
tlie  remission  of  suis,  thereby  supposed  to  be 
obtained,  the  superstitious  pilgrims  work  their 
way  upon  their  knees.  The  twenty-seven  steps 
of  which  it  consists,  are  supposed  to  have  been 
brought  from  the  Palace  of  Pilate,  and  to  be 
the  identical  ones  up  which  our  Saviour  was 
carried.  Near  here  stands  the  Obelisk  of  lla- 
ineses,  the  son  of  Heron,  who  flourished  fifteen 
hundred  years  before  Clirist,  and  which  ori- 
ginally stood  in  the  Temple  of  tlie  Sun  at 
Heliopolis,  from  wlience  it  was  transported  to 
Rome  by  Constantine  II.  and  was  subsequently 
erected  in  its  present  situation  by  Sextus  V, 
It  is  esteemed  one  of  the  largest  here,  being 
115  feet  high,  and  nine  ui  diameter.  Upon 
each  of  its  four  sides,  inscribed  in  hierogly- 
phics, appears  tlie  name  of  Mesplires,  who 
was,  according  to  Manetho  the  fifth  king  of 
the  eighteenth  dynasty  of  Egyptian  monarchs, 
and  who  tlourished  seventeen  hundred  years 
before  Christ. 

After  passing  the  Porta  San  Giovanni,  we 
left  Rome,  and  again  entered  upon  the  dreary 
and  desolate  Campagua,  across  which,  in  every 
direction,  sweep  the  majestic  remains  of  immense 


TOMB  OF  jVSCAMI'S.  57 

aqueducts.  The  Tomb  of  Ascanius  stands 
at  the  entrance  of  Albano.  A  learned  anti- 
quary might  possibly  say  it  is  ^vrong  thus  to 
call  it,  but  as  it  is  better  to  have  too  much, 
rather  than  little  faith,  upon  such  disputed 
points,  I  am  perfectly  contented  to  believe  that 
the  son  of  ^neas  lies  thei-e  interred ;  for  who 
would  wish  to  liave  so  pleasing  an  illusion 
destroyed  ? 

"  Where  ignorance  is  bliss,  "tia  folly  to  be  wise." 

C>n  leaving  the  town,  we  passed  either  the 
tomb  of  the  Curiatii,  or  of  Pompey  the  Great. 
Delij;htful  uncertainty  ! 

Whilst  rambling  about  the  environs  of  \'el- 
tetri,  where  we  slept  that  night,  we  were  ac- 
costed by  a  person  with  something  of  the  air  of 
un  vieiix  militaire,  who  put  several  questions  to 
UN  concerning  the  state  of  parties  at  Rome,  and 
the  health  of  the  Pope.     He  then  volunteered 

»to  us  several  particulars  of  the   robbers  who 
infest   these    regions,  informing  us    that  Gas- 
peroiii,  their  captain,  at  this  time  prisoner  in 
the  castle  of  St.  Angelo,  had  followed  his  pro- 
fession   for  thirty  years,  and  in  his    day  had 
^^Ltnken   several  English    ladies    and    a    German 
^^BColonel  prisoners.     Our  communicative  friend 
seemed  so  perfectly  an  Jait  with    the  move- 
ments of  the  banditti,  and  with  their  deed.i  of 
^^^  prowess,    that    tiiough  here  presented   himself 
^^Lto  be  only  a  gentleman  of  Cori,  come  forth  to 


58 


A  COMPANION. 


take  an  evening  promenade,  yet  on  his  request- 
ing us  to  ascend  an  eminence,  in  order  that  he 
might  point  out  his  house  to  us,  we  began  to 
tliink  we  were  not  over  prudent  in  thus  trust- 
ing ourselves  to  a  stranger,  as  we  might  pos- 
sibly be  performing  the  counterpart  to  the  ad- 
venture of  AUermanno  Principesso  Fopkins, 
which  is  described  in  AVashington  Irving's 
Tales  of  a  Traveller.  It  Iiad  long  been  dusk ; 
the  shades  of  night  were  closing  in  ;  suspended 
over  the  battlements  of  the  gateway,  a  bandifs 
head  grinned  horribly  at  us ;  however,  I  wa* 
not  doomed  to  become  the  rival  of  the  Prind.- 
pessine  Popkins  ;  our  iitcog-nifo  walked  quietly 
off,  and  we  returned  to  our  hotel  in  inglorious 
safety.  Comfortless  enough  it  was,  and  suffi- 
ciently large  for  half  a  dozen  robberies  and 
murders ;  but  fortunately  the  inn  at  Velletri 
produced  nothing  to  compete  with  the  deeds 
narrated  to  have  taken  place  at  that  of  Ter- 
raeina. 

We  started  early  on  the  following  morning, 
and  day  began  to  dawn  as  we  descended  upon 
Cisterna,  where  the  scenery  was  enriched  with 
fine  ilex  trees  scattered  about  in  solitary  gran- 
deur, and  with  some  beautiful  hedges  of  myr- 
tle !  At  Torre  tre  Ponti,  where  is  an  inscrip- 
tion to  Pius  VI.  we  crossed  the  Astura,  an4 
entered  upon  the  famous,  or  rather  ("nfamoi 


I 
I 


PONTINE   MAltSIIES. 


59 


Ptmtine  Marshes,  through  which  runs  a  noble 
ruad,  twenty-five  miles  long,  perfectly  straight, 
and  one  continued  avenue  of  trees ;  it  passes 
between  canals  or  ditches,  which  are  lined  with 
sentry-boxes  and  watch-houses,  where  the  poor 
sickly   sentinels,  whose  looks  bespoke  the  in- 
salubrity of  the  ^,  were  evidently  sacrificing 
their  lives  to    insure   the   safetj'    of  those  of 
others.     These   marshes    ere    watered    by    the 
Ufens  and  Amasenus,  and  are  bounded  on  the 
'  north  by  Mount  Albano,  glittering  with  tu- 
I  muU,  towns,  and  cities,  whilst  to  the  east  the 
Volscian  Mountains  sweep  from  thence  towards 
the  south,  forming  a  vast  semicircle,  and  im- 
mense forests  on  the  west  spread  towards  the 
A    fine,  but  coarse  and  rank  vegetation 
'  everj'where  prevailed,  and  herds  of  buffaloes 
were  to  be  seen  grazing  on  the  rich  pastures. 
At  first  there  was  something  very  striking  in 
this  magnificent  road  over  desert  marshes,  but 
its  monotony  fatigued,  and  we  were  both  re- 
.  joiced  when  we  came  to  its  termination. 
I      We  at  length  reached  Terracina,  the  ancient 
F  Anxur;  a  poor  place  in  itself,  but  commanding 
magnificent  views  of  Mount  Circello,  and  of 
the  Bay  of  Naples.     The  sea  here  washes  the 
base  of  some  huge  rocks  which  overhang  the 
I  town  in  a  most  romantic  manner,  and  which 
■  are  picturesquely  variegated  with  the  richest 


60 


TEKllACINA. 


tints  of  yellow  and  red.  The  summits  are 
crowned  by  tlie  Temple  of  Jupiter  Anxur,  or 
the  Palace  of  Theodoric.  This  was  the  scene 
of  Oswald  and  Corinne's  evening  walk,  when 
the  latter,  dismayed  with  a  cloud  passing  over 
the  moon,  interpreted  it  to  be  an  evil  omen, 
presaging  future  woe  and  misery.  The  Ca- 
thedral contains  a  mosaic  pavement,  and  a 
baldequin,  supported  by  four  beautiful  marble 
columns,  from  the  temple  of  Apollo ;  also  a 
curiously  twisted  pillar;  and  in  the  portico  is 
a  large  marble  cenotaph. 

Our  inn,  "  the  inn  at  Terracina,"  was  situated 
under  an  impending  rock,  apparently  "  nodding 
to  its  fall,"  and  close  to  the  sea  ;  but  though 
the  gran  sola  was  fully  occupied,  we  saw  no 
"  melting,  bewitching  Venetian,"  no  "  French 
painter"  to  narrate  bandit  stories,  and  "  no  stiflf" 
and  stately  Englishman."  So,  there  being  little 
appearance  of  adventures,  good,  bad,  or  indif- 
ferent, we  ordered  our  dirmer  in  our  own  apart- 
ment, and  retired  to  rest,  lulled  by  the  dashing 
of  the  waves. 

"  E  lion  udite  ancora  come  risuonn 
II  rauco  ed  alto  fremho  marioo?" 

At  Torre  dei  Confini  we  entered  the  Nea- 
jjoUtan  dominions,  and  after  passing  a  pesti- 
ferous lake,  not  far  from  which  is  a  cavern 


4 

i 


FONDI.  61 

'  "where  Sejanus  saved  t)ip  life  of  Tiberius,  we 

reached  Fondi,  a  wretchedly  poor  place,  whicli, 

like  Troy  of  old,  was  ruined  by  the  beauty  of 

I  -ft  woman.     In   1534,  Barbarossa,  attracted  by 

the  fame  of  the  charms    of  the    lovely  Julia 

I  Gonzago,  the  wife  of  Victor  Colonna,  made  a 

I  descent  upon  the  town,  in  order  to  gain  pos- 

I  cession  of  her ;  but  tJic  lady  having  no  taste  for 

the    seclusion    of  the    seraglio   of   tlie   Grand 

Signior,  for  which  she  was  destined,  made  her 

escape  to  the  mountains  en  chemise,  and  the 

I  barbarian  wreaked  his  vengeance  for  the  dis- 

'  appointment  upon  the  town,  which  has  never 

j  recovered  from  the  effects  of  his  rage. 

Mola  di  Gaeta  is  o'ertopped  by  the  Torre  di 

f  Orlando,  formerly  the  mausoleum  of  Minutius 

I  Plancus,  the  foimder  of  Lyons.     In  this  neigh- 

I  bourhood  is  the  cenotaph  of  Cicero,  wlio  was 

murdered  near  here;  and  in  tlie  garden  of  the 

albergo  di  Cicerone  are  the  interesting  remains 

f  of  his  Villa  Formianum.     Not  far  from  hence, 

J  Marius  attempted,    though    unsuccessfully,    to 

I  conceal  himself  from  his  enemies ;  and  the  ruins 

'  of  an  aqueduct,  majestically  sweeping  across  a 

plain,  and  of  a  theatre,  induce  antiquaries  to 

fix    the   site   of  Minternum    in  their  vicinity. 

We  crossed  the  Garigliano,  the  ancient  Liris, 

I  by  a  bridge  of  boats,  and  continued  along  the 

tVia  Appia  to  San  Agatha,  passing  over  a  plain 


62  CAPUA. 

covered  with  olive-trees  and  vines,  flinging  their 
fantastic  branches,  ornamented  with  red  and 
yellow  autumnal  foliage,  in  tangled  festoons 
from  tree  to  tree,  as  on  the  plains  of  Loin- 
bardy.  Fig-trees  and  pomegranates  were 
growing  wild  in  the  hedges ;  myrtles  bloomed 
around  ;  groves  of  oranges  and  limes,  and  im- 
mense aloes  and  Indian  figs  appeared  in  luxuri- 
ant abundance,  whilst  occasional  palm-trees  gave 
a  southern  aspect  to  the  scenery.  Capua,  on 
the  Volturno,  at  this  period  presents  none  of 
the  attractions  and  luxuries  which  enervated 
the  army  of  Hannibal ;  but  even  in  this  men- 
dicant country,  the  importunity  of  the  beggars 
at  this  place  transcended  every  thing  we  had 
hitherto  met  with,  and  we  were  absolutely 
scolded  into  parting  with  a  few  carlini.  Is  It 
not  melanclioly,  that  where  Nature  has  done  so 
much,  man  will  do  so  little?  That,  where  she 
has  poured  her  choicest  gifts,  the  population 
should  be  so  degraded  ?     That, 

'*  Where  the  flowers  ever  blossom,  the  beams  ever  shine, 
All  but  the  spirit  of  man  is  divioe  ?" 

At  Aversa,  King  Andrew,  the  husband  of  the 
beautiful  Queen  Joan,  was  strangled  ;  but  with 
that  lovely,  that  sweetly  innocent  countenance, 
as  pourtrayed  by  Raphael,  in  the  Louvre,  it 
would  be  difficult  to  believe  she  could  have 
been  privy  to  his  assassination.     If  she  were. 


I 


r  a  murderess,  no  faith  can  be  placed  in  physi- 
ognomy. We  soon  after  reached  Naples,  and 
■  after  passing  a  large  Foundling-hospital,  and 
I  driving  along  the  famous  Strada  di  Toledo, 
\  we  took  up  our  abode  in  an  hotel  which  coni- 
I  manded  a  magnificent  view  of  the  Bay,  in 
tvhich  were  two  EngUsh  men-of-war  at  anchor. 


LETTER  IX. 

[Naples — Cliiesa  de'i  Cerlosini. — Fine  view  from  ttience.— 
Caslleof  St.  Elmo.— Villa  Reale.— Grotto  of  Pausilippo.— 
Virgil's  tomb. — Museo  Borbonico, — Pompeii. — Portici. 

"  f^Eor  Napoli  e  poi  mori,"  says  the  Italian 
l^roverb;  and  probably  there  is  no  place  in  the 
I  World  better  worth  visiting,  ere  one  takes  one's 
J  leave  of  this  terrestrial  sphere.  It  is  a  spot 
C  richly  teeming  with  classical  and  poetical  re- 
t  miniscences;  and  it  has,  from  time  immemorial, 
I  been  the  favourite  retreat  of  the  great  and  tlie 
L  wise,  of  the  philosopher  and  the  man  of  plea- 
I  sure. 

Tradition  relates  that  it  was  foimded  by  an 
[  Argonaut,  thirteen    hundred  years  before  tlie 
i  Christian  tera,  and  after^vards  peopled  and  en- 
riched  by  Greeks  from    Rhodes,  Athens,  and 
Chalcis.     Its  ancient  name  of  Parthenope  was 


64  VIEW  FROM  THE  IIEUF.DKRF.. 

bestowed  on  it  by  tlie  Phoenicians,  in  conse*-! 
quence  of  its  charming  situation ;  or,  as  som^  J 
say,  it  is  derived  from  one  of  the  Syrens  who  i 
was  interred  here;  and  Neapolis  was  the  appeU'l 
lation  bestowed  upon  it  after  it  had  been  de-  f 
stroyed  and  rebuilt  in  obedience  to  an  oracle^  J 
by  the  people  of  Palaeopolis,  a  neighbouring  J 
town,    which    is   said    to   have    been    founded 
by   Hercules.     Neapolis    and   Palteopolis  were 
subsequently  united  by  Augustus ;  and  in  the 
territories  of  Naples  are  still  extant  many  Greek 
customs,  and  the  manners,  and  even  language, 
still  retain  many  traces  of  their  former  Grecian  J 
connexions.  I 

From  the  Belvedere,  in  tlie  garden  Dei  Cer-  ' 
tosini,  may  be  seen  one  of  the  finest  ^^ews  in 
the  world ;  indeed,  one  near  Constantinople  is 
tlie  only  one  which  is,  I  believe,  acknowledged  J 
to  be  superior.     From  thence  you  look  over  a  I 
magnificent    extent    of    country.      The   Cam- 
pagna,  teeming  witH  luxuriance,  and  bounded 
only  by  the  distant   range  of  Apennuies,  and 
the    graceful  declivities   of  Mount  Vesuvius;J 
the  beautiful  Bay,  studded  with  isles,  and  the! 
line  of  coast,  with    bold  headlands,  stretching 
from  the  promontory  of  Pausilippo  to  that  of 
Sorrento ;  whilst  beneath  is  seen  the  flat-roofed  „ 
city  of  Naples,  with  its  palaces  and  i 
and  the  pretty  oval-sbajied  Castel  del' 


churches^  ^^H 
del'  Uovot^^^l 


CON\ENT  DKI  CERTOStNl-  65 

Ituated  where  formerly  stood  one  of  the  villas 
r  LucuUus. 

The  ci-devant  Convent  dei  Ccrtosini,  by  the 
strange  changes  and  chances  of  this  mutable 
world,  is  now  converted  into  a  hospital  for 
invalid  soldiers.  What  different  sounds  must 
at  this  time  re-echo  through  its  walls,  which 
erst-while  heard  only  the  sounds  of  prayer 
and  repentance,  when  inhabited  by  the  silent, 
austere,  and  self-denying  Carthusians  ! 

The  Church  is  highly  ornamented  with  pre- 
cious marbles,  lapis  lazuli,  and  fine  paintings. 
In  the  Tesoro  is  the  chef-d'wupre  of  Spag- 
noletto— a  dead  Christ,  with  the  Virgin,  the 
Magdalene,  and  St.  John,  for  which  Lord 
Bristol  offered  some  thousand  piastres.  In 
the  Sacristy  is  a  picture  of  our  Saviour  car- 
ried up  the  Holy  Staircase,  by  Massino  and 
N'iviani,  whicli  has  a  fine  effect.  The  ceilings 
were  painted  by  Luca  Giordano  and  tiie  Che- 
valier d'Arpino ;  the  pavements  are  dazzlingly 
beautiful,  and  the  cloisters  are  very  fine,  as  is 
the  Campo  Santo:  St.  Bruno  and  St.  Januarius 
appear  the  heroes  of  the  place.  The  frown- 
ing but  picturesque  old  castle  of  St.  Elmo, 
which  is  necessarily  passed  in  returning  from 
the  Convent  dei  Certosini,  overlooks,  and  com- 
mands the  city,  and  was  founded  by  the  Nor- 

rot,.  I.  V 


I 


GG  TlIE  VILLA  HEALE. 

mans,   thovigh   subsequently   strengthened  by 
Louis  XII.  and  Charles  V. 

The  Villa  Reale  is  a  most  delightful  public 
promenade,  adorned  with  noble  plantations,  and 
washed  by  the  Mediterranean,  the  murmurs  of 
whose  waves  intermingle  agreeably  with  the 
sighing  of  the  wind  among  the  trees,  and  witli 
the  music  which  frequently  plays  here.  In 
the  centre  is  the  celebrated  Toro  Famese,  which 
originally  came  from  Rhodes,  representing  Am- 
phion  and  Zethus  tying  Dircc  to  the  horns  of 
a  wild  bull ;  the  subject  is  too  ferocious  to  be 
pleasing.  It  was  at  this  time  in  contemplation 
to  remove  it  to  the  Museum,  with  a  view  to  its 
better  preservation.  Near  here,  in  the  Capella 
dei  Crocelli,  sleeps  the  classical  Eustace ;  the 
inscription  on  his  monument,  which  was  erect- 
ed by  his  sister,  mentions  his  having  been  cut 
oif  by  a  fever,  and  concludes  thus, 

"  Care,  vale  !  Patriie  manet,  teternumque  manebit        M 
Te  genuisse  decus,  non  tumulasse  decor."  ^1 

After  passing  the  extensive  suburb  of  La 
Mergellina,  and  the  promontory  of  Pausilippo, 
covered  with  the  ruins  of  Norman  palaces,  in 
which  the  sea-fowl  builds  her  nest,  and  the 
poor  lazaretto  finds  a  dwelling-place,  where  the 
ill-starred  Queen  Joan,  perhaps,  once  held  her 
state,  a  noble  road,  commanding  a  magnificent 


(JROTTO  OF  PAL'SILIPP(J 


67 


m 


view,  gradually  winds  up  the  hill,  till  it  almost 
meets  that  of  Pozziioli.  As  we  returned,  we 
visited  the  Grotto  of  Pausilippo;  with  lights, 
which  only  serve  to  render  darkness  visible,  it 
strikes  the  imagination  most  forcibly.  There 
something  inexpressibly  grand  and  sublime 
tlie  gloom,  and  the  sudden  transition  from 
the  glare  and  bustle  of  Naples  to  the  darksome 
cavern,  and  the  re-emerging,  on  the  opposite 
side,  to  the  cheerful  light  of  day,  reminded  us 
of  the  valley  of  death,  through  which  we  must 
all  pass,  let  us  humbly  hope  to  a  joyful  re- 
surrection. Overhanging  the  entrance  of  the 
Grotto,  is  the  tomb  of  Virgil,  situated  in  a  most 
sequestered  and  romantic  spot,  to  which  we 
ascended  by  a  toilsome  path,  and  which  seems 
like  the  retreat  which  the  Mantuan  swain 
would  himself  have  selected,  when  he  wished 
to  sing  the  charms  of  "  formosam  Amaryllida." 
An  oblong  building,  with  small  cavities  on  the 
sides,  apparently  intended  for  the  reception  of 
cinerary  urns,  contains,  or  ratlier  did  contain, 
^e  mortal  remains  of  the  great  Latin  poet ; 
pt  present,  nought  is  to  be  seen,  but  the  names 
of  all  the  world  written  and  carved  all  about. 
The  laurel  planted  by  Petrarch  has  totally  dis- 
ipeared ;  but  over  the  vaulted  roof,  an  ilex, 
ich  romantically  grows  from  an  adjoining 
;k,  caressingly  flings  its  branches,  as  if  wish- 


J 


'  ins  I 


TOMB  OF  VIRGIL. 


ing  to  guard  the  hallowed  spot  where  Tityrus 
was  interred,  from  the  scorchhig  beams  of  the 
summer  sun.  But  for  the  cicerones,  this  would 
be  quite  tlie  place  to  lose  oneself  in  poetic  re- 
veries :  but,  oh !  those  guides !  they  ruin  all 
the  feelings  of  the  sublime  and  beautiful!  The 
inscription  on  the  tomb  is, 

"  Qui  Ceneres  ?  Tumuli  htec  vpstigia  coaditiir 
Ille  hoc  qui  cecinit  Pascua,  mru,  duces  olim. 
Can:  Reg:  MDLIIII.-' 

From  a  rustic  kind  of  seat,  where  there  is  an 
inscription  in  French,  purporting  that  "  Here, 
where  the  shepherd  lies,  friends  should  draw 
the  silken  bands  of  love  still  tighter,"  may  be 
seen  a  magnificent  view  of  Naples, — its  bay, — 
and  Mount  Vesuvius.  By  the  common  peo- 
jile,  A''irgil  is,  or  ^vas  considered  to  have  been 
a  great  magician ;  and  a  bronze  horse,  which 
went  by  his  name,  was  superstition  sly  revered 
by  them,  and  believed  capable  of  curing  all  dis- 
orders, till  the  zeal  of  some  bisliop  caused  it  to 
be  destroyed.  The  head,  however,  still  may  be 
seen  in  the  Museo  Borbonico,  whither  we  will 
now  direct  our  steps. 

In  this  collection  are  several  noble  statues ;: 
the  Hercules  of  Glycon,  and  the  famous  Flora,* 
both    of  which  were   found  in   the  Baths  ofj 
Caracolla.     Tlie  latter  is  a  most  gigantic  dani« 


^^ni 


Ml!SE<)  BORBONICO.  G9 

sel  ;  j/"  a  beauty,  there  is  no  denying  she  is  a 
greal  one ;  but  ladies  of  pigmy  stature  must 
hope  Slatthews  was  in  the  right,  when  he  ob- 
served that  colossal  proportions  in  a  female 
are  seldom  pleasing.  There  are  plenty  of 
Venuses;  the  Venus  Callipyga  of  Praxiteles, 
and  the  Venus  Genetrix,  between  whom 
Adonis  very  properly  has  taken  his  station ; 
also  the  Venus  Accovicciata,  and  the  Marine 
Venus  :  Atlas,  bearing  a  globe ;  Antinous, 
beautifully  graceful  and  effeminate  it  tordinatre, 
and  a  most  majestic  statue  of  j^Vristides,  which 
is  life  itself.  We  were  also  much  pleased  with 
several  females,  and  with  some  equestrian 
statues  of  the  Balbus  family.  In  the  apart- 
ments containing  the  paintings  are  some  fine 
models,  in  cork,  of  the  ruins  of  Pompeii  and 
the  Temples  at  Prestum ;  also  a  succession  of 
pictures  from  the  earliest  time,  when  the  pain- 
ter, determined  to  make  his  picture  valuable, 
was  more  lavish  of  gold  than  of  colour.  Here 
are  the  original  sketch  of  the  Last  Judgment, 
by  Michael  Angelo  Buonarotti,  which  is  in  the 
Sistine  Chapel  at  Rome  ;  Leo  X.  between  the 
Cardinals  Hembo  and  Passerine,  a  Holy  Family, 
and  s  Fencing  Master,  by  the  divine  Raphael; 
Domenithino's  Gouvemante,  a  portrait  of  Co- 
lumbus, and  a  Child,  attcndetl  by  a  Guardian 
igel ;  Danae,  by  Titian, — but  I  will  not  trou- 


ble  you  with  a  dry  enumeration  of  names ; 
I  dare  say  you  will  take  my  word  for  there 
being  some  fine  performances  by  Correggio, 
Leonarde  da  Vinci,  Annibal  Caracci,  Guercino, 
Claude  Lorraine,  Vemet,  and  the  usual  painters 
of  eminence  to  be  found  in  all  collections. 

Limited  as  we  were  for  time,  we  contrived 
to  spare  one  day  for  Pompeii.  We  crossed  the 
river  Sebeto  by  the  Ponte  Maddalena,  where 
is  a  statue  of  the  patron  saint  of  Naples,  St. 
Januarius,  stationed  there  as  if  to  protect  the 
city  from  the  fury  of  Mount  Vesuvius.  Our 
road  passed  through  the  Palace  of  Portici, 
Resina,  Torre  del  Greco,  Torre  del  Annun.- 
ziata,  till  we  came  upon  sheets  of  lava,  and 
beds  of  ashes,  %vhich,  though  interspersed  with 
gardens,  showed  our  vicinity  to  the  volcano. 
But  of  Pompeii  not  a  vestige  was  to  be  seen,  till 
the  coachman,  after  driving  some  time  between 
high  banks  of  cinders,  suddenly  drew  up  at 
a  rustic  farm-yard  sort  of  gate,  and  exclaimed, 
ere  we  were  aware  that  we  were  in  its  neigh- 
bourhood, "  Ecco  Pompeii !" 

A  few  instants  brought  us  into  the  Comic 
and  Tragic  Theatres,  both  paved  with  marble, 
and  in  perfect  repair.  Near  these,  in  a  large 
court,  stands  the  diminutive  Temple  of  Isis, 
to   which  Johnson's    observations    concerning 


ancient  temples  may  very  well  apply,  for  thh 


A 


POMPEII.  71 

■might,  with  its  fellow  temples,  very  easily 
"  play  at  leap-frog  in  St.  Paul's,"  and  half  a 
dozen  such  miglit  run  about  there  very  safely, 
without  the  slightest  danger  of  incommoding 
each  other.  Behind  the  high  altar,  still  re- 
mains a  covered  closet  or  secret  recess,  where, 
in  times  of  yore,  the  priests  were  wont  to  con- 
ceal themselves  when  they  delivered  oracles  to 
the  people,  and  from  whence  at  this  moment 
issued  one,  promising  me  a  favourable  voyage 
up  the  Nile  and  down  the  Red  Sea.  The 
guide,  who  was  considerably  amused  at  the 
trick  my  compagnon  tie  voyage  played  me, 
on  his  emerging  from  his  hiding-place,  ex- 
claimed, "  Oh  those  priests !  they  were  sad 
'Birbanti;'"  thus  unconsciously  uttering  a  se- 
vere sarcasm  on  the  deceits  and  artifices,  of  a 
similar  nature,  which  are  said  to  be  still  prac- 
tised by  the  Romish  Church. 

The  Via  Appia  is  a  tolerably  wide  street, 
with  its  ancient  pavement  in  a  far  better  con- 
dition than  the  modern  at  Rome.  There  are 
still  elevated  troitoirs  on  the  sides  for  foot 
passengers,  and  the  marks  of  wheels  are  even 
now  visible.  There  are  the  remains  of  shops 
on  both  sides,  the  walls  of  all  of  them  painted, 
and  the  colours  and  designs  perfectly  fresh,  as 
if  but  just  finished.  The  generality  of  them 
f  are  very  small,  and  reminded  us  of  those  in  the 


^H       72 

^^p  magnil 

^^^-  zaars  ii 


Burlington  Arcade,  whieli  tliey  resemble  as  to 
magnitude,  and  they  are  also  very  like  the  ba- 
zaars in  Oriental  cities.  In  the  public  baking- 
house,  in  whicti  bread  was  foimd  when  it  was 
first  discovered,  is  an  oven,  which,  though  some 
thousand  years  old,  might  even  yet  be  used ; 
and  on  a  marble  slab,  in  a  coffee-house,  are  the 
marks  of  cups,  as  if  but  recently  set  down .' 
Indeed,  every  tiling  looked  so  completely  as  if 
the  town  had  but  just  been  deserted,  that  we 
could  almost  have  expected  to  have  met  with 
some  ancient  Roman  lingering  in  his  native 
city  ;  but  in  these  places,  which  some  centuries 
ago  resounded  with  the  cheerful  hum  of  men, 
solitude  and  desolation  now  reign,  and  the  only 
living  objects  besides  ourselves  and  our  guide, 
were  a  wild  bandit-looking  shepherd,  conducting 
his  sheep  over  pillars  of  marble,  and  through 
stately  edifices  half  buried  in  ashes.  The  Am- 
phitheatre is  in  such  wonderful  preservation, 
that  it  might  still  serve  for  spectacles  and 
shows,  and  from  the  top  there  is  a  fine  view 
of  Mount  Vesuvius.  The  Villa  of  ftlarcus 
Arrius  Diomedes  is  in  an  affectingly  perfect 
state;  it  really  seemed  so  indelicate,  penetra^ 
ting  into  the  haunts  and  apartments  of  a  pri- 
vate family,  that  we  half  expected  to  have  en- 
countered some  ofthemj  coming  to  ask 
motives  for  our  hitrusion,  and  to  chide 


the  ^^H 
e  us  for  ^^H 


PALACE  OF  PORTICI.  73 

I  our  impertinent  curiosity.  The  illusion  at  the 
I  moment  was  so  strong  that  we  forgot  the  many 
I  centuries  that  had  elapsed  since  the  poor  master 
I  attempted  to  flee  from  destruction,  with  the 
I  keys  of  liis  house,  and  a  purse  of  gold  in  his 
f  hand,  and  when  the  unfortunate  females  sought 
I  for  refuge  in  the  subterranean  apartments, 
I  where  seventeen  skeletons  were  subsequently 
[  discovered. 

We  left  Pompeii  by  the  Herculaneum  gate, 
[  beyond  which  are  the  tombs.  Some  of  these 
I  we  handsome,  and  some  mutilated  statues  re- 
Ljuaiii,  as  if  in  mockery  of  the  efforts  of  frail 
Imortality  to  rescue  itself  from  oblivion. 

The  rain,  which  had  hitherto  good-naturedly 
I  kept  off,  now  began  to  descend  in  such  torrents. 
I  that  we  were  obliged  to  abandon  all  idea  of 
I  Bceing  Herculaneum.     We  however  stopped  at 
I  the  Palace  of  Portici,  which  is  built  over  it ;  in 
Fthis  particular  resembling  what  is  so  frequently 
I  to  be  seen  in  the  world,  where  the  splendour 
l^aiid  fortune  of  the  favoured  individual  is  found- 
Led  on  the  depression  and  destruction  of  another, 
Iwhose  wrongs  cannot  be  redressed,  because  jus- 
■iice  to  him  woiUd  injure  his  rival's  prosperity, 
bus  Herculaneum  remains  entombed,  lest  its 
l^cavation  might  injure  Portici.     The  curiosi- 
lies  and  treasures  of  the  former  are  many 
liem  deposited  in  the  museum  of  the  latter 


osi-  ^^m 


74 


MURATS  PALACE. 


and  there  are  several  very  interesting  pictures ; 
also  the  skull  of  the  unfortunate  female  who 
was  found  in  the  Villa  of  Diomedes,  at  Pompeii, 
and  who,  from  being  better  dressed  than  her 
companions,  was  supposed  to  have  been  the 
mistress  of  the  house.  There  is  likewise  the 
impression  of  her  arm  and  figure  upon  the 
ashes  which  preserved  this  melancholy  cast  of 
her  form,  whilst  they  cut  short  the  thread  of 
her  existence. 

After  Pompeii,  the  splendid  apartments  of 
Murat's  palace  had  scarcely  power  to  interest, 
though  we  could  but  be  struck  with  the  muta- 
bility of  human  events,  in  seeing  the  Bourbons 
now  enjoying  the  elegancies  and  luxuries  which 
were  prepared  for  his  own  use  by  the  unfortu- 
nate King  Joacliim. 

We  returned  to  Naples,  much  delighted  with 
our  morning's  excursion,  and  greatly  regretting 
that  our  limited  time  prevented  our  seeing 
more  of  its  beauties,  and  those  of  the  enchant- 
ing countrj"  around  ;  but  we  were  compelled  to 
proceed  quickly,  and  consequently  we  were 
reluctantly  obliged  to  abandon  any  farther  ex- 
cursions, which,  under  any  other  circumstana 
woidd  have  been  most  gratifying  to  on 
osity. 


VOLCANO  OF  STKOMBOLI. 


LETTER  X. 

Embaikation  in  Steam-packel— Isles  of  Lipari.— Stromtx^i. 
— Straits  of  Messina, — Scylla  and  Charybdis. — Harbour 
of  Messina. — Beautiful  situation.— Sirocco. — Earthquakes. 
Shipwrecked  Greeks. — La  Virgine  della  Lettera.— Pha- 
nomenon  of  La  Fata  Morgana.— Duomo. — Marina. — Si- 
cdian  laugiiage,  manners,  and  climate. 

On  the  29th  of  November  we  embarked,  for 
Sicily,  on  board  the  steam-packet  El  Real 
Ferdinaiido,  and  we  bade  farewell  to  the  con- 
tinent of  Europe.  Before  day-break  on  the 
following  morning,  we  were  near  the  Lipari 
Islands,  and,  as  a  volcano  in  an  active  state  is 
a  sight  not  to  be  seen  every  day,  we  all  rose 
early  to  see  Stromboli,  the  light-house  which 
Nature  has  placed  in  these  seas  as  a  beacon  to 
the  wandering  mariner,  to  guide  him  through 
the  pathless  deep.  It  is  an  insulated  rock, 
with  liquid  fire  constantly  pouring  doivu  its 
sides,  and,  boldly  rising  from  the  bosom  of  the 
sea,  it  presents  a  most  striking  spectacle.  At 
sun-rise  we  found  ourselves  among  the  Lipari 
Islands,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  King  jiLolus's 
Palace,  where  in  times  of  yore,  he  kept  his 
court,  and  where  the  artful  "  Jovisque  et  soror, 
et  conjux,"  promised  him  "  forinS  pulcherriniil 


76 


LIPAHI  ISLjVNDS.— ROCKS  OF  SCYLLA. 


Deiopeiain,"  to  induce  him  to  raise  the  tem- 
pest whicli  scattered  ^neas's  fleet.  Either  the 
virago  Goddess  Juno  liad  more  compassion 
on  a  wandering  female  than  on  the  Trojan 
hero,  or  the  King  of  the  Winds  had  had 
no  interview  with  her  this  morning,  for  he 
sent  ns  notliing  but  favourable  gales  and 
gentle  zephyrs  ;  and  as  the  day  more  fidly  ad- 
vanced, we  found  ourselves  in  front  of  the 
poetical  Sicily,  with  the  snowy  mass  of  IMon- 
gibello,  towering  more  than  ten  thousand  feet 
aloft  in  the  air,  and  soaring  majestically  above 
the  range  of  subordinate  lulls.  In  the  blue 
distance,  on  the  left,  appeared  the  mountains 
of  the  Calabrian  coast,  and  in  the  foreground 
the  Isles  of  Lipari  dotted  the  surface  of  tlie 
briny  deep.  There  were  no  signs  of  the  Straits, 
and  we  seemed  so  completely  land-locked,  that 
really  a  more  patient  mortal  than  Hannibal 
might  have  imagined,  as  he  did,  that  he  was 
betrayed  by  his  pilot,  when  in  tliis  situation. 
As  we  proceeded,  however,  the  shores  of  Italy 
and  the  smiling  hills  of  Sicily  separated,  and 
we  were  soon  opposite  the  famous,  or  rather 
infamous  rocks  of  Scylla ;  a  low  but  rugged 
range  of  rocks,  terminating  in  a  steep  and  very 
precipitous  promontory.  If,  however,  never 
more  tremendous  than  at  this  present  moment. 
Homer   must   have   had    great  talents  for  in- 


lor  III-     ^^^t 


ILVRBOtm  (JF  MESSINA. 


77 


vention,  to  have  invested  tliese  regions  with 
such  poetical  terrors,  for  we  could  but  smile  at 
the  old  saying — 

"  Incldit  in  ScyUara,  cupieni  Ailare  Charjbdim." 

Our  pilot  was  skilful  enough  to  guide  us 
safety  through  all  these  perils  and  dangers,  and 
after  passing  the  Fanale,  or  Faro,  we  soon  en- 
tered the  celebrated  harbour  of  Slessliia,  which 
is  formed  by  a  narrow  slip  of  land,  so  exactly 
in  the  shape  of  a  sickle,  that  the  ancients 
feigned,  Saturn  flung  his  hither,  down  from 
Heaven.  It  now,  however,  bears  the  name  of 
the  Ann  of  St.  Ranieri,  and  in  its  neighbour- 
hood is  the  whirlpool  of  Charybdis,  or  11 
I  Garofolo,  as  it  is  termed  by  tlie  Sicilians.  This 
[  is  caused  by  the  contraction  of  the  water  occa- 
sioned by  the  said  arm,  and  changes  with  the 
,'tide;  but  tlioxigh  we  were  often  close  to  it,  we 
never  saw  any  thing  more  remarkable  in  its 
appearance  than  the  ripple  wliich  tlie  flinging 
I  large  stone  into  the  sea  would  produce. 

We  procured  tolerable  accommodations  at 
[  the  Hotel  Britannique,  and  as,  thanks  to  the 
f  Sirocco,  and  some  dreadfid  storms,  we  were 
I  detained  here  for  more  than  three  weeks,  we 
[  had  time  to  become  well  acquainted  with  Mes- 
I  sina.  Its  situation  is  most  beautiful ;  superior, 
L  perhaps,  even  to  that  of  Naples,  and  the  views 


i 


78 


PICTURESQUE  SCENERY. 


from  the  hills  in  the  vicinity  are  enchanting. 
Among  these  we  frequently  wandered,  and 
we  were  quite  delighted  with  the  romantic 
variety  of  the  scenerj',  which  had  a  peculiar- 
ly pastoral  air.  Picturesque  ravines  and  fiu- 
mares,  or  dry  beds  of  torrents,  were  tapestried 
o'er  with  delicate  shrubs,  or  clothed  with  rich 
groves  of  orange  and  lemon  trees,  whose  deep 
green  foliage  was  enlivened  with  tlieir  golden 
fruits.  Ohve-trees  hghtly  waved  around,  vines 
hung  in  tangled  festoons  from  tree  to  tree,  the 
cactus  and  the  Indian  fig  grew  in  the  wildest 
luxuriance ;  and  the  air,  even  at  this  late  sea- 
son of  the  year,  was  perfumed  with  the  sweet 
alysson,  and.  other  of  our  tender  annuals.  In 
fact,  there  seemed  no  winter  in  this  favoured 
isle;  none,  at  least,  like  our  northern  one,  wliere 


*'  He  comes  to  rule  the  varied  year, 

Sullen  aad  sad,  with  all  his  wintry  train, 
'  Vapours,  and  clouds,  and  storms. 

We  literally  found  the  climate  too  warm, 
and  we  were  compelled  to  take  our  meals  in 
large  sala  at  the  top  of  the  house,  for  coolness.' 
The  Sicilians,  however,  have  their  siroccos  and 
their  earthquakes ;  the  former,  the  "  Plumbeus 
Auster"  of  the  ancients  I  presume,  is  so  noto- 
rious in  its  effects,  that  of  any  thing  remarkably 
dull,  the  <m^it  is,  that  "era  scritto  nel 


I 

uarkabty  ^^| 
sirocco:"  ^^H 


EARTHQCAKES  AT  MESSINA.  79 

it  quite  unhinges  the  frame,  and  inspires  no- 
thing but  lassitude  and  ennui.  With  regard 
to  the  earthquakes,  poor  Messina  has  not  yet 
recovered  from  the  dreadful  one  in  1783,  when 
the  Knights  of  Malta  fitted  out  a  squadron,  and 
came  to  the  assistance  of  the  houseless,  naked, 
sick,  and  starving  inhabitants.  "  Use  lessens 
marvels,"  it  is  said,  and  they  talk  now  of  a 
shock  with  as  much  sang-froid  as  we  could  do 
of  a  common  tempest.  Tliey  told  us,  however, 
that  the  sea-quakes  were  more  formidable  in 
their  effects,  two  of  which  had  been  latelv  ex- 
perienced. We  felt,  or  fancied  we  felt,  a  slight 
earthquake  one  night,  and  of  course  I  expected 
the  liouse  was  to  tumble  down ;  however,  no- 
thing more  serious  occurred  than  a  few  bricks 
falling,  wliieh  possibly  might  have  been  occa- 
sioned by  the  rats,  which  were  very  numerous 
and  troublesome.  It  seemed  as  if  some  one 
were  shaking  the  room  violently;  the  light 
flashed  from  my  eyes,  and  I  could  have  ima- 
gined that  I  had  been  struck  with  an  electric 
shock. 

Messina,  formerly  termed  Zancle,  derives  its 
present  name  from  a  colony  of  Messineans  in 
the  Morea,  who  fleeing  from  thence,  took  re- 
fuge here  in  ancient  times.  Whilst  we  were 
here,  a  vessel  of  Greeks,  likewise  abandoning 
their  native  land,  was  wrecked  on  the  coast. 


80 


LA  VERGINE  BELLA  LETTERA. 


but  the  poor  creatures  were  all  put  into  du- 
rance vile,  and  condemned  to  the  Lazaretto; 
which  considering  the  Jlessinese  are  themselves 
only  a  set  of  Greek  refugees,  ^vas  a  reception 
any  thing  but  courteous.  There  was  some- 
thing  so  classical,  so  Ulysses-Hke  in  Greeks  ship- 
wrecked in  these  regions,  that  we  longed  to  be- 
come acqainted  with  them,  but  we  however  saw 
no  one  whom  the  utmost  stretch  of  imagina- 
tion could  have  converted  into  a  hero  — "  the 
much-enduring  man" — the  iieroic  son  of  La- 
ertes. The  Virgin  is  the  patroness  of  Messina, 
and  she  is  reported  to  have  sent  the  inliabitants 
a  letter,  which  is  said  to  be  still  among  the  re- 
cords of  the  Senate-house,  in  which  she  exhorts 
them  to  keep  constant  to  the  true  faith.  She 
is  from  thence  termed  La  Vergine  della  Lettera, 
but  whether  her  epistle  is  dated  from  heaven 
or  from  earth,  we  did  not  hear.  The  phseno- 
menon  of  La  Fata  Morgana  takes  place  occa- 
sionally in  the  Straits,  which  is  produced,  it  is 
said,  by  a  very  strong  refraction  in  the  at- 
mosphere, which  distinctly  reflects  terrestrial 
objects  in  the  sky.  We  were  not,  how- 
ever, fortunate  enough  to  be  treated  with  a 
sight  of  this  singular  spectacle,  which  is  but 
of  rare  occurrence.  It  was  across  these  Straits 
that  San  Francesco  di  Paolo  passed  over, 
upon  his  cloak,  instead  of  a  boat ;  his 


seated   ^^H 
servant,  ^^H 


"MUCH  ADO  AWJUT  NOTHING" 


81 


Fwhowas  placed  behind  him,  for  want  of  faith, 
launktothebottom,  whilst  the  Saint  triumphantly 
f  readied  the  wished-for  tiarbour  on  the  opposite 
I  riiore.     The  tower  is  still  shown  where  Ricliard 
r  Cceur  de  Lion  lodged,  when  he  stopped  here 
[  on  his  way  to  tlie  Holy  Land,  and  where  Queen 
I  Bereng^re  met  him,  under  the  escort  of  Queen 
1  Eleanor    his    mother ;    but    with    all   our   en- 
I  deavours,  we  could  see  no  one  whom  we  could 
I  imagine  to  be  the  descendants  of  the  laughter- 
I  loving    Beatrice    and    "  Benedict    the   married 
I  man,"  the  scene  of  whose  adventures,  in  "Much 
I  Ado  about  Nothing,"  is  laid  here.     It  was  sin- 
gular enough,  that  as  we  entered  the  harbour, 
niy  head  full  of  Claudio  and  the  distresses  of 
I  the  gentle   Hero,  the  first  ship   that  greeted 
[  our    eyes   happened   to   be   the    Shakespeare. 
Our  courier  one  day  brought  us  an  offer  from 
I  the  captain  to   convey  letters  for  us  to  Eng- 
I  land,  but  the  name  had  escaped  his  memory, 
|-*He  most  energetically  assured  us  it  was  that  of 
'  a  great  man  in  England,"  who,  "  like  Voltaire, 
[  wrote  histories  and  tales  ;"  and  we  accordingly 
wentover  a  whole  list  of  historians  and  novelists, 
whilst  he  remained   in   utter  astonishment  at 
'our  ignorance,  til!  at  length  it  turned  out  to  be 
[  our  immortal  dramatist. 

Messina   is   most  delightfully  situated  ;  its 
L  buildings   extend  along   the   sea,  and  up  the 
VOL.  r.  r. 


82  CONVENT  OF  SAN  GREGORIO. 

base  of  the  mountains  immediately  behind, 
whilst  its  churches  and  houses  are  intermingled 
with  groves  of  orange  and  lemon-trees,  olives, 
and  vineyards.  From  the  Convent  of  San 
Gregorio,  wliose  chapel  almost  rivals  that  of 
the  Medicis  in  richness  of  decoration,  there  is  a 
most  magnificent  view :  you  look  over  the  whole 
extent  of  the  Straits,  which  have  the  appearance 
of  a  noble  river,  and  you  see  the  rugged  coast  of 
Calabria  to  an  immense  distance.  The  Duorao 
is  an  antique  building,  adorned  with  the  sta- 
tues of  the  Apostles,  as  large  as  life,  and  the 
ceiling  of  the  choir,  representing  the  Deity  in 
mosaic,  reminded  us  of  those  at  Pisa  and  St 
Paul's  at  Rome.  The  pulpit  of  marble  is 
ornamented  with  bassi  relievi  by  Gaggini. 
But  the  great  glory  of  Messina  is  its  noble, 
and  perhaps  unrivalled,  Marina ;  a  magnificent, 
drive,  running  close  to  the  sea  for  some  mile^ 
where  six  carriages  may  drive  abreast.  There 
are  some  tolerable  statues  here,  and  the  Sid- 
lians  set  great  store  by  that  of  Neptune,  of  the 
school  of,  or  as  some  say,  by  Michael  Angelo 
Buonarotti  himself,  in  which  the  god  is  repre- 
sented with  his  trident  in  his  hand,  and  with 
Scylla  and  Charybdis  enchained  at  his  feet. 
The  Corso  is  a  tolerably  good  street,  and  dl. 
vides  the  city  into  the  marine  and  hilly 
sions.     The  streets  are  clean,  and  were 


I 


I  illy  divi-.^^| 
e  at  thi^^^l 


COSTfME  OF  THE  MESSINESE. 


83 


I 


time  paving,  under  the  superintendence  of  Mr. 
Broadbelt,  the  American  Consul.  Tlie  nume- 
rous piazzas,  or  largos,  are  generally  ornamented 
with  statues  or  fountains.  The  Italian  spoken 
liere  is  very  different  from  that  of  Florence 
and  Rome;  but  we  were  told  that  the  Sici- 
lian may  almost  claim  to  be  a  distinct  language; 
and  Mr,  Barker,  the  English  Consul,  observed, 
it  was  full  of  expression,  and  worthy  of  more 
attention  than  has  hitherto  been  bestowed 
upon  it. 

The  costume  of  the  upper  classes  here  is 
between  the  English  and  the  French ;  some- 
thing like  our  country  towns,  where  every 
one  is  behind  the  mode,  but  strives  to  make 
amends  for  it  by  a  little  extra  finery.  The 
lower  classes  still  retain  the  graceful  mantilla, 
which  is  very  superior  to  our  formal  bonnets 
and  i»elisses.  We  were  continually  reminded 
of  the  pictures  in  the  old  editions  of  Gil  Bias 
and  Don  Quixote,  for  there  is  a  considerable 
mixture  of  Spanish  customs  still  intermingled 
with  the  Sicilian  manners.  The  rustics  in 
niglit-caps,  mounted  on  donkeys,  in  Sancho 
Panza  style ;  the  Monks  in  their  robes ;  the 
bare-headed  Friar ;  the  Lettiga  between  mules ; 
the  goats  brought  down  from  the  mountains; 
the  shepherd  tending  his  flocks  in  the  seques- 
tered vales ;  all  under  a  calm   and  serene  sky. 


4 


84  CLIMATE. 

tend  to  give  something  peculiar,  something 
Sicilian  to  the  scene ;  whilst  tlie  bagpipe  re- 
sounding through  the  streets,  seems  as  national 
here  as  in  the  Highlands  of  Scotland.  We  one 
day  met  with  an  old  man  at  the  door  of  a 
cottage,  singing,  or  rather  chanting  his  verses 
witli  great  volubility  in  a  sort  of  recitative, 
and  accompanying  himself  on  a  two-stringed 
instrument,  and  we  thought  it  was  thus  perhaps 
that  the  divine  Homer  first  sung  his  immortal 
strains,  and  perhaps  to  as  rude  an  audience. 

The  climate  of  Messina  seems  far  milder 
and  pleasanter  than  that  of  Naples  ;  there  we 
suffered  considerably  from  the  violent  changes 
in  the  atmosphere — alternately  broiling  and 
freezing  as  we  were  exposed  to  the  intense  heat 
of  the  sun,  or  to  the  cold  wintry  blast.  At 
Messina,  on  the  contrary,  though  almost  Christ- 
mas, we  never  experienced  any  inclemency  of 
weather  ;  and  the  Sirocco,  which  is  equally  pre- 
valent  at  Naples,  seems  to  he  the  only  draw- 
back to  the  agreeable  and  delightfid  tempera-  ' 
ture  of  Sicily.  We  much  regretted  we  were  I 
not  able  to  venture  into  the  interior,  but  there 
are  no  roads,  and  at  this  time  of  the  year  the 
sudden  swelling  of  mountain-torrents  renders 
travelling  unpleasant  and  even  dangerous ;  we  ' 
were  consequently  obliged  to  abandon  the  idea 
from  motives  of  prudence. 


DEl'ARTURE  FItUM  MESSISA. 


LETTER  XI. 

Sicilian  BriganUno. — Sirocco. — Augusta. — Brigands. — Ligbt 
House. — English  ofticeis  at  Augusta. — Siciiian  Macca- 
roni. — Syracuse. — ^Malta  and  Gozo. 

On  the  Slst  of  December  we  embarked  on 

board  a  small  Sicilian  brigantino,  the  Santa 
]Maria  del  Porto  Santo,  and  sailed  out  of  the 
harbour  of  Messina  witli  a  tolerably  fair  wind. 
In  tlie  course  of  the  night  it  suddenly  veered 
round  into  an  unfavourable  qnarter,  and  there 
was  every  appearance  of  the  Sirocco  returning. 
On  the  following  day  it  began  to  blow,  and 
the  sea  to  swell,  and  we  were  for  some  hours 
most  agreeably  tossed  off  Mount  Etna,  but  as 
I  was  not  equal  to  remaining  upon  deck,  I  only 
heard  of  its  magnificent  scenery :  green  vales 
whose  vivid  freshness  formed  a  fine  contrast 
with  the  woody  regions  of  the  mountain  ;  ro- 
mantic and  picturesque  rocks  boldly  presenting 
themselves  to  the  sea,  and  precipices  crowned 
with  castles  and  toppling  convents.  On  tlie 
23rd  the  wind  freshened  into  a  gale,  and  the 
gale  threatening  to  become  a  storm,  the  Cap- 
tain resolved  to  put  into  Augusta,  a  small  town 
upon  an  island  on  the  coast  of  Sicily  ;  and  about 
noon  we  anchored  in  its  harbour. 

Ill  our  cabin  was  an  image  of  the  Virgin, 


86 


DEVOTION  OF  THE  CItEW. 


before  wliose  shrine  was  a  lamp,  which,  in  calm 
and  serene  weather,  was  neglected,  and  was 
frequently  allowed  to  go  out,  to  the  great 
offence  of  our  olfactory  nerves;  but  we  were 
somewhat  amused  with  the  devotion  of  the 
crew,  which  rose  and  sunk  with  the  wind.  No 
sooner  did  it  begin  to  blow,  than  the  lamp  was 
immediately  re-lighted,  and  in  proportion  as 
the  strength  of  the  storm  increased,  so  did  their 
attention  to  the  Hglit,  and  when  the  tempest 
howled  the  loudest,  its  flame  was  then  most 
carefully  trimmed,  and  burned  the  brightest; 
from  which  it  would  seem  that  the  sailors 
placed  far  more  efficaey  in  feeding  it  with  oil, 
than  in  either  propitiating  the  Deity  with 
prayer,  or  in  using  their  own  exertions  to  steer 
the  vessel. 

For  several  days  the  Sirocco  blew  most  vio- 
lently and  determinately,  the  greater  part  of 
which  period  we  spent  upon  shore,  though 
liable  to  be  summoned  to  the  vessel  at  tlie  least 
appearance  of  a  favourable  change  in  the  wea- 
ther. On  our  first  landing,  we  were  somewhat 
surprised  at  being  all  taken  to  the  Quarantine 
Office,  and  when  it  was  ascertained  that  we 
had  not  the  plague,  then  we  were  handed  over  . 
to  the  Police  and  Passport  offices,  but,  how- 
ever,  no  sooner  did  they  discover  that  we  were 
English,  to  whom  the  Sicilians  are  very  partial, 


AUGUSTA.  87 

than  it  was  immediately  "pa — bene,  bene!" 
Our  accommodations  here  were  of  the  very 
poorest  description,  and  it  was  with  difficulty 
that  we  procured  even  these.  There  are  no 
hotels,  or  inns,  for  strangers ;  indeed,  few  would 
visit  Augusta  but  from  necessity,  there  being 
little  to  induce  the  traveller  to  wander  thither ; 
but,  however,  it  was  better  than  our  brigantino, 
with  her  cargo  of  myrtle  wood.  It  was  a  cu- 
rious place  to  spend  Christmas  in ;  a  small 
island  on  the  Sicilian  coast,  at  the  foot  of 
Mount  Etna,  which,  in  honour  of  the  season, 
put  on  several  additional  layers  of  snow ;  and 
not  more  singidar  were  the  flowers  we  fre- 
quently collected  in  the  meadows  ;  jonquils,  ra- 
nunculuses, anemones,  and  candy-tuft,  which 
were  growing  in  profusion,  and  the  wildest 
luxuriancy,  in  the  open  air.  We  thought  of 
Proserpine's  fate,  but  I  never  was  interrupted 
by  the  grizzly  old  Pluto,  who  probably  finds 
one  lady  as  much  as  he  can  manage  in  his 
Tartarean  domains. 

On  Christmas  day,  we  were  nearly  attacked 
by  a  party  of  brigands,  who  surrounded  our 
house  with  evidently  hostile  intentions,  armed 
with  heavy  bludgeons,  watching  our  move- 
ments, and  apparently  intending  to  waylay  us 
when  we  left  the  town.  We  were  enabled 
to  baffle  their  plans ;  but  as  the  only  fastening 


88  SICILIAN  VESPERS. 

to  our  door  was  a  piece  of  wood  tlirust  through 
the  staple,  I  fully  expected,  as  the  Irishman 
says,  "  to  wake  some  morning  and  find  our 
throats  cut." 

One  evening,  as  we  were  rambling  about  the 
island,  the  sound  of  music  floating  on  the  air, 
induced  us  to  go  in  search  of  the  invisible 
harmonist,  when  close  to  the  sea-shore,  and 
thrown  into  strong  relief  by  the  light  of  the 
pale  moon,  which  was  saiHng  in  majesty  through 
a  cloudless  sky,  we  belield  a  round  chapel,  and 
before  a  small  shrine  to  the  Virgin,  was  a 
silver-headed  old  man  at  his  de\'otions,  playing 
a  very  sweet  hymn  ;  by  him  knelt  two  young 
men,  one  accompanying  him,  the  other  chant- 
ing, whilst  prostrate  on  the  ground,  and  «Tapped 
in  their  graceful  mantillas,  were  thirty  or  forty 
women  and  children,  who  filled  the  chorus  in 
a  most  harmonious  manner,  whilst  the  sound 
of  the  waters  was  heard  between  each  cadence 
and  dying  fall.  We  never  saw  a  prettier  spec- 
tacle, or  heard  music  that  pleased  us  better, 
than  these  SiciUan  vespers. 

Augusta  is  a  poor  little  town,  situated  on  a 
small  island,  about  two  miles  long  and  three 
quarters  broad,  separated  from  the  main  land  by 
a  back-water,  which  is  navigable  for  small  boats, 
and  over  which  a  bridge  ts  thrown,  which  is 
commanded  by  the  Citadel.   The  Light-house,  a 


CilUKCU  OF  ST.  DOMINICK.  89 

pretty  little  fort,  which  appears  like  a  ship  at 
sea,  is  situated  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbour, 
which,  though  a  noble  one,  is  but  little  fre- 
quented. The  Commandant  of  the  fort,  in 
order  to  conceal  his  having  sold  the  powder 
contained  in  its  magazines,  partly  destroyed  it 
by  blowing  it  up,  which  act  of  treacherj'  he 
is  expiating  by  imprisonment  for  life.  King 
Ferdinand  was  so  fond  of  this  castle,  that  he 
is  said  to  have  slied  tears  when  he  heard  of 
the  injury  it  had  sustained.  From  Augusta 
there  is  a  noble  view  of  Mount  Etna,  which, 
though  forty  miles  distant  from  thence,  looks 
as  if  it  were  in  its  inmiediate  vicinity.  The 
sea  coast  is  seen  from  the  head-lands  near 
Catania  to  Syracuse  Point,  and  the  range  of 
Hyblean  Hills  forms  the  back-ground,  St. 
Dominick  is  the  patron  saint  of  the  city, 
whose  image  we  saw  carried  in  grand  proces- 
sion through  the  town.  The  convent  and 
church  dedicated  to  him  are  the  finest  here; 
for  the  Duomo,  though  large,  contains  but 
little-  worth  notice.  In  some  of  the  churches, 
and  particularly  before  the  shrine  of  La  Rla- 
donna  dei  Poveri,  were  some  most  singular 
votive  ofierings;  every  part  of  the  human  body, 
formed  in  wax,  hung  up  by  those  who  had  been 
cured  by  her  of  diseases,  in  what  seemed,  to  us, 
a  most  indecent  display.     To  judge  from  the 


00 


ENGLlKii  ItKSlDENTS. 


wens  and  other  horrible  spectacles,  the  Virgin 
must  be  endowed  with  very  superior  medical 
and  surgical  abilities ;  but  we  were  reminded 
of  the  ancient  custom  of  the  Romans,  who 
were  wont  to  hang  up  something  in  comme- 
moration of  any  extraordinary  deliverance. 
The  Town-hall  is  ornamented  with  the  high- 
sounding  and  sonorous  inscription  of  "  Senatus 
Populusque  Roniani,"  which,  considering  what 
a  poor  little  place  Augusta  is,  borders  closely 
upon  the  ludicrous.  Yet  even  in  this  out-of- 
the-way  spot,  strange  to  say,  we  met  some 
of  our  cosmopolite  countrymen,  who  having 
married  Sicilian  ladies,  were  settled  here,  and 
one  of  them  had  contrived  to  muster  round 
him  many  little  English  comforts.  They 
soon  found  us  out,  and  their  kindness  and 
hospitality  caused  us  to  pass  several  very  plea- 
sant and  agreeable  hours  in  this  retirement.  | 
They  talked  to  us  of  Sicily,  and  we  told  them 
of  England,  and  they  absolutely  seemed  to 
gasp  for  intelligence  of  what  was  going  on  in 
the  world,  rumours  of  which  seldom  reached.  ■ 
them  in  this  their  banishment,  for  such,  to  I 
military  men  as  they  were,  it  must  have  seem- 
ed. A  Sicilian  Field  Officer  in  the  Neapolitan 
service  often  accompanied  them.  He  was  a 
polished,  gentlemanly  man,  quite  of  the  old 
school  ;    he   had  been   Governor   of  Girgenti 


SICILIAN  FIELD-OFFICER. 


91 


■  for  ten,  and  of  Taormina  for  six    years,  aiid 
■was  now  retired  to    his  native   town,   where, 
as  he  observed,  "  II  s'ennuyoit  beaucoup,  for 
there  was  no  theatre,  no  conversazione."     He 
seemed  particularly  partial  to  the  English;  and 
he  told  us,  both  his  countrymen  and  himself 
I  much  regretted  Sicily  was  not  under  our  Go- 
vernment, rather  than  that  of  the  Neapolitans, 
whom    the  Sicilians  appear  to  hold    in    utter 
I  abhorrence.     I  shall  not  easily  forget  the  utter 
k  astonishment   with    which    he    viewed  a  sprig 
of  myrtle  in  my  sash,  for    the    Sicilians    heat 
their  ovens    with  it ;    and  when  we  informed 
him    that    in    England    we     ornamented   our 
green-houses    and     drawing-rooms    with    this 
beautiful  shrub,  with  a  truly  foreign  shrug,  he 
exclaimed,  "  Mon  Dieu !  est  il  possible!"     In 
I  spite    of    his  subsequent    bow    of   deference, 
I  and  his  submissive,  "  I  am  bound  to  believe 
I  you.    Madam,"    I    am    convinced    he    thought 
\  1   was   trying    to  impose   upon    Iiis   credulity. 
I  We  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  a  good  deal 
I  of  the  Sicilian  manners  here,  for  at  this  season 
\  of  the  year  it  appears  to  be  the  fashion  to  visit 
I  in    the  evening,    and   a   general  salute  always 
I  Went  round  when  the  parties  separated.     We 
l«aw  here  tlie  apparatus  and  process  of  making 
I  inaccaroni,  which  is  so  extremely  simple,  that 
I  wonder  it  is  not  constantly  mtule  in  England, 


9-2 


BAIL  FROM  AUGUSTA. 


in  private  families,  instead  qf  being  imported. 
It  is  so  infinitely  better  wlien  eaten  quite  fresh, 
and  before  it  has  had  time  to  become  hard  and 
dry,  that  most  Sicilian  families  make  it  at 
home,  just  before  it  is  wanted,  and  indeed  it 
forms  one  of  tlieir  principal  articles  of  food. 
The  paste,  composed  of  simple  flour  and  water, 
when  of  a  proper  consistency,  is  pressed  by 
a  screw  througli  a  plate  full  of  holes,  each  of 
which  has  a  peg  in  the  centre,  to  make  it  hol- 
low ;  the  whole  is  set  in  motion  by  a  wheel 
turned  by  the  hand,  and  the  maccaronl  is  then 
laid  in  the  sun  to  harden. 

After  frequent  attempts  to  leave  Augusta, 
and  as  many  failures,  we  at  length  succeeded  in 
roiniding  Syracuse  Point,  and  we  came  in  sight 
of  the  poor  remains  of  that  once  celebrated', 
city,  which  we  viewed  at  a  most  tantalizing 
distance.  The  Island  of  Ortygia,  on  which 
they  stand,  appears  by  no  means  extensive. 
The  last  sun  of  1825  set  behind  the  Hyblean 
hills,  as  we  took  leave  of  the  majestic,  the 
beautiful,  the  sublime  Mongibello,  the  fruitful 
source  of  so  many  poetical  fables  and  extrava- 
gancies, with  its  cultivated  base,  its  woody 
region,  its  snow-capped  summit,  and  its  crater, 
which  all  spring  at  once  from  the  bosom  of  tlie 
sea. 

"  Ofl"  Cape  Passaro !"  were   the  first  sounds 


I 


^ihat  greeted  us  on  the  1st  of  January,  1826. 
i  With  a.  tolerable  breeze  we  soon  lost  sight  of 
I  Sicily,  and  by  the  time  the  sun  began  to  de- 
scend in  the  horizon,  appeared  in  the  distance 
I  Malta  and  Cozo. 

"  Ciilypao's  isles. 
The  sister  tenants  or  the  middle  deep, 
Where  for  the  weary  still  a  havL-n  smiles," 

As  we  iieared  the  entrance  of  the  magnificent 

t  harbour  of  La  Valette,  at  whose  mouth  several 
pirates  are  suspended,  the  evening  gun  sounded, 
'  Iddio .'"  exclaimed  the  Captain,  clasping  his 
hands  with  a  theatrical  look  of  despair  ;  but  he 

,  was  mistaken,  we  were  not  too  late ;  and  most 

!  fortunate  for  us  it  was  that  we  were  not,  for  a 
drcadfid  storm  was  impending,  and  right  glad 
were  we  to  find  ourselves  transferred  from  the 

'  Sicilian  brigantino  to  Beverley's  very  excel- 
lent hotel.     Those  who  have   never   travelled 

I  can  never  know  what  comfort  is,  for  it  is  by 
comparison    alone  that  we  learn  to  appreciate 

i  jt.  Ever  since  we  left  Naples,  we  had  been 
roughhig  it,  and  I  cannot  describe  to  you  how 
positively  deliglitful  to  the  poor  weather-beaten 
wanderers  appeared  the  clean  apartments,  the 
neatness  and  the  tidiness  of  every  thing  around 

r  in  Malta,  where  we  intended  to  spend  a  few 
days,  to  refrrah  ourselves  after  our  fatigues. 


LETTER  XII. 


Malta.— Bay  and  Cave  of  St.  Paul.— Order  of  the  Knights 
of  Malta.  —  Duomo. — Palace.  — Maltese.  —  Hospitality, — 
Cilleeshes. — Arrival  of  tlie  Marquis  of  Hastings. — Malta, 
a  Missionary  Station.  ' 

The  Maltese  term  their  island  "  the  flower 
of  the  world."  To  the  patriot,  his  first  best 
country  ever  is  at  home;  but  I  have  gazed 
at  the  Maltese  landscapes  till  I  have  really- 
thought  them  pretty.  Sea  views,  perliaps,  they 
should  rather  be  termed,  for  the  dark  blue 
Mediterranean  cabnly  sleeping  in  the  deeply 
indented  bays,  or  dashing  furiously  over  the 
rocks,  generally  tneets  the  eye  wherever  it  is 
turned.  This  little  barren  rock  in  the  midst 
of  the  Mediterranean,  with  no  fresh  water  but 
that  wliich  falls  from  Heaven,  no  indigenous 
production  but  a  few  jujube  trees,  and  no  soil 
but  what  is  brought  from  afar,  has,  by  the  hand 
of  man,  been  covered  with  magnificent  edifices, 
almost  impregnable  fortifications,  and,  by  the 
prowess  of  its  brave  knights,  its  name  has  been 
enrolled  high  m  the  annals  of  glory.  The 
names  of  L'Isle  Adam  and  La  Valette  alone 
would  be  enough  to  consecrate  this  spot  in  the 
imaginations  of  all  those  to  whom  valour  and 
mental  courage    are  dear;    but  it   has  higher 


CAVE  AHD  BAY  OF  ST.  PAUL'S. 


95 


claims  to  interest,  for  in  Holy  Writ,  under  the 
name  of  Melita,  it  is  famed  for  the  memorable 
shipwreck  of  St.  Paul,  and  for  his  sojourn  of 
three  months  on  the  island.  The  bay  which 
was  the  scene  of  his  escape,  is  still  pointed 
out,  and  retains  his  name ;  and  at  Civita  Vecchia 
is  shown  the  spot  where  "  he  shook  off  the 
viper,  and  felt  no  harm,"  since  which  time 
neither  snake  nor  venomous  animal  has  dared 
to  enter  Malta, — so  runs  the  story.  There  is  a 
statue  of  the  Saint  here,  which  has  a  fine  effect 
as  seen  athwart  the  dark  gloom  of  the  cave 
where  it  stands,  the  stone  of  which  is  said  to 
have  the  miraculous  power  of  curing  diseases, 
and  of  never  diminishing  in  quantity.  The 
Maltese  also  claim  for  their  island  the  Grotto  of 
Calypso,  though  this  honour  is  disputed  with 
them  by  Gozo. 

The  celebrated  Order  of  the  Knights  of 
Malta  derived  its  origin  from  the  charity  of 
some  rich  citizens  of  Amalii  in  Italy,  who,  in 
1050,  by  rich  presents  to  the  Caliph  of  Egypt, 
obtained  his  permission  to  erect  a  church  and 
two  hospitals  at  Jemsalem,  which  establish- 
ments were  originally  supported  by  the  alms 
and  contributions  of  the  southern  Italians  and 
their  Norman  conqueror.  Godfrey  endowed 
them  with  an  estate  in  Brabant,  and  many  of 
his   brethren  devoted  themselves  to   the  per- 


90  OIIDEK  OF  THE  KNIOllTS  (IF  MALTA. 

petual  service  of  way-worn  pilgrims.  As  the 
association  acquired  importance,  the  Abbot 
Gerard,  feeUng  tlie  weight  of  this  charge,  pro- 
posed to  his  brethren  to  renounce  the  world, 
and  to  take  a  religions  habit ;  and  in  the  time  of 
the  Grand  Master  Raymond  du  Puy,  between 
the  years  1121  and  II60,  the  friars  first  became 
soldiers,  and  were  divided  into  three  classes, 
nobiUty,  clergy,  and  serving  brethren.  Wlien 
not  engaged  in  war,  the  various  duties  of  the 
hospital  exclusively  occupied  their  attention, 
and  the  great  men  of  Europe  sent  their  sons 
to  Jerusalem  to  be  trained  np  in  religion,  and 
in  knightly  discipline  and  feats  of  arms.  Kvery 
country  in  Europe  had  Preceptories,  thus  called, 
till  1260,  when  they  were  termed  Comman- 
deri^s,  from  "  Commendamus,"  the  first  word 
at  the  commencement  of  their  spiritual  letters. 
The  Order  was  divided  into  the  then  principal 
seven  langues  or  languages  of  Christendom, 
the  English,  German,  Italian,  Arragonese,  Pro- 
vencial,  Auvergnese,  and  the  common  French. 
After  the  Reformation,  those  of  Castile  and 
Portugal  were  substituted  for  that  of  our 
country,  into  which  the  Hospitallers  first  came 
in  the  reign  of  Henry  I.  and  their  first  priory 
was  erected  by  Jordan  Briset,  of  WellinghaU, 
Kent,  at  Clerkenwell,  which  was  burnt  by  the 
rebels  in  1381.     After  the  expulsion  of  the 


I 


ORDER  OF  TIIE  KNIGHTS  OF  RL\LTA, 


97 


Knights  from  Rhodes  by  the  Turks,  Charles  V. 
presented  Malta  to  the  Grand-Master  of  the 
Order  of    St.  John  of   Jerusalem,  VilHers  de 
L'Isle  Adam,  and  they  assumed  the  name  of 
Knights  of  Malta,  which  their  brave  acts  have 
rendered    illustrious    in    the   page   of  history. 
Vignes,  Villiers,  L'Isle  Adam,  and  La  Valette, 
are  interred  in  a  subterranean   chapel    in   the 
Duomo,  and  the  tomb  of  Cottonera  is  orna- 
mented   witli  a    statue  of  that   hero,    with    a 
Turkish   and  African  slave   enchained    at   his 
feet.     The  pavement  of  this  cathedral  is  per- 
haps  unique,  and  is  by   some  considered  the 
handsomest  and  most  interesting  in  the  world. 
'  It  is  entirely  composed  of  the  arms  and  mottos 
I  of  the  deceased  knights,  in  magnificent  mosaic, 
!  formed  of  the  finest  marbles.     The  ceiling,  by 
I  Calabrese  Prete,  is  well  painted  ;  but  tiie  frescos 
I  on  the  walls,  chiefly  representations  of  the  heroic 
deeds  of  those  who  sleep  below,  are  quickly 
yielding  to    time   and    damp.     Unfortimately, 

I  this  is  also  the  case  with  those  in  the  palace,  a 
fine  old  building.  It  is  a  pity  that  some  anti^ 
quary  does  not  rescue  them  from  the  oblivion 
to  which  they  will  soon  be  consigned,  for 
though  certainly  not  quite  equal  to  tliose  in  the 
Camere  di  Rafaelle,  they  are  very  interesting 
on  account  of  the  historic  and  heroic  facts  which 
they  commemorate.  The  portraits  of  some  of 
vol..  I.  n 


98  IIALL  OF  ST.  GEORGE.— THE  AKMOUEY. 

the  grand-masters  are  still  remaining,  though 
it  is  to  be  feared  tliey  will  be  turned  adrift  at 
the  behest  of  the  first  tasty  Governor,  for  the 
hall  of  St.  George  has  been  converted  into  an 
elegant  modern  ball-room,  and  the  old  paintings 
quite  expunged.  At  Malta,  Maltese  frescos 
were,  perhaps,  preferable.  The  armoury  is 
highly  interesting,  and  the  suits  of  armour  are 
so  well  arranged,  that  they  would  almost  induce 
the  spectator  to  believe  that  the  mortal  frames 
which  once  tenanted  them,  were  still  frowning 
from  the  vizarded  and  helmeted  figures  around. 
That  of  La  Valette  is  still  shown,  richly  inlaid 
with  gold ;  besides  which,  there  is  an  ample 
show  of  swords,  spears,  and  other  murderous 
weapons  of  offence  and  defence. 

But  for  the  poor  knights,  where  are  they  ? 
Alas  for  them  !  AVell  might  Burke  exclaim, 
"  The  days  of  chivalry  are  over,"  Of  them 
whose  deeds  *'  once  kept  the  world  alive  with 
lustre  and  with  noise,"  nought  remains  but 
splendid  tombs  and  stupendous  fortifications 
to  tell  us  such  men  were ;  and  in  the  palaces 
and  auberges,  whose  floors  were  once  trod,  per- 
chance, by  L'Isle  Adam  or  La  Valette,  now  re., 
side  the  English  merchant  and  the  British  fai 
Occasionally  may  be  seen  wandering  forth, 
like  a  ghost,  an  old-fashioned  figure,  clad  in  ha- 
bits formed  a  century  ago,  with  an  enormous 


4 


LA  VALETTE. 


99 


i 


Maltese  cross,  the  only  token  by  wliich  may  be 
recognized  a  lingering  relic  of  the  illustrious 
Order  of  the  Knights  of  Malta,  looking,  however, 
like  a  burlesque  upon  that  glorious,  that  chival- 
rous race  of  men,  whose  prowess  and  whose  ex- 
ploits once  filled  all  Europe  with  their  renown. 
In  the  Palace  there  is  a  room  hung  with  some 
splendid  tapestry,  representing  the  animal  and 
vegetable  productions  of  warm  and  tropical  cli- 
mates.  The  great  harbour,  somewhat  resem- 
bling a  clumsy  hand  in  shape,  is  separated  from 
the  smaller,  where  is  the  Lazaretto,  by  a  tongue 
of  land,  upon  which  stands  the  chief  city,  La 
Valette.  The  brave  Abercrombie  sleeps  at  the 
entrance  of  the  former,  which  is  protected  by  the 
castle  of  St.  Elmo,  so  famed  for  its  vigorous  de- 
fence against  the  Turks.  The  fortifications  of 
Cottonera,  Floriana,  St.  Angelo,  and  St.  John, 
are  really  wonderful,  and  Napoleon  might  well 
have  congratulated  himself,  which  he  is  said  to 
have  done,  on  having  a  friend  inside  to  admit 
him  into  the  interior,  as  it  would  be  almost  im- 
possible to  enter  by  force.  The  streets  of  La 
Valette  are  clean  and  well-paved,  but  so  irre- 
gular, that  when  walking  in  them,  you  are  con- 
stantly ascending  and  descending  hills  and  steps. 
The  private  houses  are  in  a  style  of  magnifi- 
cence seldom  to  be  met  with ;  the  rooms  are 
large,  spacious,  and  handsome,  and  the  veran- 
H  2 


100 


INHABITANTS  OF  MALTA. 


dahs,  flat  roofs,  terraces,  courts,  and  fountains, 
evince  the  dubious  situation  of  Malta,  which 
required  an  act  of  Parliament  to  certify  that  it 
belonged  to  Europe.  The  faldetta  and  black 
mantilla,  distended  with  silk,  which  form  the 
national  costume  of  the  Maltese  women,  and 
the  blue  check,  or  white  jacket  and  trowsere, 
sash,  and  long  dangling  cap  of  the  Smiche,  or 
caleesheer,give  a  peculiarity  to  the  scene;  and  the 
olive  complexions  and  brilliantly  dark  eyes  of  the 
inhabitants,  their  rude  language,  a  patois  com- 
posed of  ancient  Punic,  modern  Arabic,  and  bar- 
barous Italian,  forming  a  sort  of  Lingua  Franca, 
remind  you  of  the  vicinity  of  Africa,  whilst  the 
English  comforts  and  luxuries  at  the  same  time, 
make  you  feel  at  Home.  The  British  inhabi- 
tants sit  over  fires  of  Newcastle  coals,  "just  as 
we  do  in  England,"  and  stir  them  into  a  brilliant 
blaze,  with  that  peculiarly  national-looking  im- 
plement, a  poker,  ever  accompanied  with  Anglo 
tongs  and  shovel ;  wliUst  Tripoli  and  Tunis* 
the  Morea  and  Crete,  are  talked  of  as  fami- 
liarly as  Bath  or  Cheltenham ;  and  a  trip  to 
Corfu,  or  an  excursion  to  Sicily,  are  proposed 
for  change  of  air,  as  we  should  recommend  one 
to  Brighton  or  Ramsgate.  We  had  every  rea- 
son to  be  pleased  with  our  sojourn  at  Malta ; 
we  came  in  idea  but  for  a  few  days,  and,  like 
St.  Paul,  we  tarried  three  months.    On  land- 


I 


m  land-  I 


I 

I 


THE  CARNIVAL.— CALEESHES.  |01 

ing,  we  scarcely  knew  a  single  person  ;  but  the 
Maltese,*  though  they  have  lost  their  barbarity, 
have  not  lost  the  hospitality  for  which  they  are 
famed  in  Holy  Writ.  They  indeed  "  showed 
us  no  little  kindness,"  and  for  courtesy  to  stran- 
gers, their  island  richly  deserves  to  be  termed, 
par  excellence,  "  the  flower  of  the  world."  We 
came  in  for  ail  "  the  fun,  frolic,  and  foolery"  of 
the  Carnival.  There  were  masked  and  fancy 
balls,  musical  parties  and  dances  innumerable. 
During  the  last  two  or  three  days,  the  natives 
paraded  the  streets  in  masks,  and  the  English 
entered  into  it  co?i  amore,  pelting  each  other 
with  sugar-plums  in  a  most  determined  man- 
ner. The  ealeeshes,  which,  from  tlie  nature  of 
the  country,  are  almost  the  only  vehicles  in 
use,  even  with  the  English,  are  singular-look- 
ing conveyances.  Eirst  of  all  comes,  full 
drive,  a  wildish-looking  httle  horse  in  shafts, 
and  by  its  side,  at  a  long  swinging  trot,  runs 
the  bare-footed  calesheer,  his  immense  night- 
cap alternately  sweeping  one  shoulder  or  the 
other,  as  the  sun  or  rain  requires  the  additional 
defence.  Then,  not  upon  springs,  comes  a  mrt 
of  box  or  sedan  chair,  supposed  to  carry  two, 
though  that  number  is  frequently  doubled,  nay, 
•  The  Englisli  residents  are  here  meant;  and  iheir  liberal, 
kind,  and  warm-hearted  attention  to  strangers,  makes  the 
modem  Malta  of  the  nineteenlli  century,  to  compete  with 
"  the  Inland  "  when  it  "  it  was  called  Melita,"  in  A.D.  62. 


102       ARRIVAL  OF  SIR  CHARLES  COLVILLE. 

trebled.  Last  of  all,  like  an  after-thought, 
comes  tearing  away,  a  pair  of  wheels ;  and  in 
this  machine,  off'  the  traveller  jolts,  apparently 
to  the  eminent  danger  of  dislocation  either  to 
his  neck  or  limbs ;  but,  though  I  frequently 
wished  Cinderella's  kind  god-mother  would 
have  transmuted  one  of  the  enormous  pump- 
kins sold  in  the  market  into  a  coach  for  my 
accommodation,  I  believe  accidents  are  of 
very  rare  occurrence. 

In  consequence  of  the  repeated  piracies  in 
the  Mediterranean,  we  were  strongly  recom- 
mended not  to  venture  to  Alexandria  in  any 
but  an  English  ship,  which  flag  alone  is  re- 
spected. It  was  somewhat  singular  that  the 
first  vessels  that  sailed  for  Alexandria  were  the 
Ulysses  and  the  Penelope ;  but  the  former,  in 
spite  of  all  his  prudence  and  wisdom,  did  wan- 
der so  egregiously  out  of  his  way,  in  sailing 
from  Troy  to  Ithaca,  and  took  so  long  a  time 
to  effect  it,  that  we  were  apprehensive  of  en- 
trusting ourselves  to  so  erratic  a  gentleman  j 
and  as  it  was  unpleasant  to  choose  between 
man  and  wife,  we  accordingly  took  a  passage 
in  ttie  Eliza.  In  the  interim,  Sir  Charles  Col- 
ville  arrived,  whom  we  had  intended  to  meet 
at  Cosseir ;  but  though  he  had  enjoyed  the 
journey,  or  rather  voyage,  extremely  himself, 
it  was  rather  appalling  to  me  to  hear  him  say 


■  him  say  i 


MARQUIS  OF  HASTINGS. 


103 


it  was,  in  his  opinion,  unadvisable  for  a  lady  to 
venture  througli  Egypt,  and  ail  our  friends 
recommended  our  returning  to  England,  and 
proceeding  by  a  Cliina-stiip.  However,  I  was 
not  to  be  daunted,  and  we  continued  our  pre- 
parations for  our  Egyptian  campaign.  Two  or 
three  days  before  our  departure,  the  venerable 
Marquis  of  Hastings  arrived  from  England, 
with  his  amiable  Marcliioness  and  family,  in 
the  Herald  frigate,  and  we  were  much  gra- 
tified to  see  the  enthusiastic  aifection  with 
which    he    was    received    by    the    Maltese,   by 

whom    lie    was   greatly    beloved.     C was 

presented  to  him  on  the  3rd  of  April,  by  Sir 
Frederick  Hankey,  when  there  was  a  great  le- 
vee, and  he  had  the  honour  of  duiing  with  him 
on  the  following  day  ;  in  the  evening  there 
were  some  splendid  fireworks  exhibited,  the 
voluntary  comphment  of  the  Maltese  to  their 
noble  and  illustrious  Governor,  and  one  they 
had  never  paid  to  any  of  his  predecessors. 

In  bis  absence,  the  island  had  been  governed 
by  the  Lieutenant-Governor,  General  Wood- 
ford, and  both  he,  and  his  elegant  and  accom- 
plished lady,  were,  from  the  peculiar  urbanity 
and  affability  of  their  manners,  universally  po- 
pular at  Malta. 

This  little  barren  insulated  rock,  which,  it  is 
sjud,  was  colonized  by  the  Phoenicians  fifteen 


104  MISSIONARY  STATION. 

hundred  years  before  Christ,  in  many  points 
of  view  is  particularly  interesting  to  those  who 
are  anxious  for  tlie  spread  of  Christianity  ;  and 
to  them  it  is  highly  important,  as  the  head 
quarters  of  the  Missionary  laboiu-s  in  the  Me- 
diterranean. The  excellent  and  higlily-respect- 
ed  Mr.  Jowett,  with  whom  we  had  the  plea- 
sure of  heing  acquainted,  was  at  tliis  time  at 
the  station,  and  was  labouring  most  earnestly 
in  his  vocation.  From  him  we  procured  some 
Arabic  speUiiig-hooks,  which  we  afterwards 
were  enabled  to  distribute  to  some  of  the  wild 
Arabs  we  subsequently  met  with  in  our  journey. 
The  schools  at  Malta  seemed  in  a  flourishing 
and  a  prosperous  state,  but  it  was  singular, 
considering  the  island  belonged  to  the  English, 
that  they  had  no  church  here,  and  that  the  only 
I>lace  where  the  Protestant  form  of  worship  was 
performed,  was  at  the  Chapel  in  the  Palace. 

After  a.  very  delightful  tliree  montiis  sejour 
at  hospitable  Malta,  in  April  we  again  began 
to  think  of  pursuing  our  route.  The  island 
had  now  assumed  a  very  different  aspect  to 
what  it  presented  on  our  landing  on  the  1st  of 
January.  Winter  had  fled  to  the  churlish  r&- 
gions  of  the  north.  "  Phmibeus  Auster"  no? 
longer  reigned  lord  of  the  ascendency.  Storms 
Were  hushed,  and  gentle  zephyrs  supplied  their 
place.     "  Heaven's  breath  smelt  most  wooingly 


I 


DEPiUlTURE  FROM   MALTA. 


105 


and  sweet ;"  the  little  patches  of  soil  were  co- 
vered with  verdure ;  the  elegant  pepper-tree, 
with  its  pendant  branches,  formed  an  agreeable 
shade ;  "  the  flowers  appeared  upon  the  earth, 
and  the  fig-tree  put  forth  her  green  leaves ;" 
the  air  was  perfumed  with  sweet  alysson,  which 
communicates  so  peculiar  a  taste  to  the  Maltese 
honey  ;  the  barren  fortifications  were  tapestried 
with  minute  flowerets,  and  the  daisy,  the  star 
of  home,  which,  wherever  the  British  wanderer 
turns  his  steps,  recalls  dear  "  merry  England" 
to  the  memory,  decked  the  sterile  rock  of 
Malta. 


LETTER  XIII. 


Departure  from  Malta. — Germnn  Missionaries. — Service  on 
board. — Alarm  of  Piratesi,-' Arrival  at  Alexandria. — Land- 
ing.—Consul's  House. — Pompey's,  or  Diocletian's  Pillar. 

As  the  evening  gun  fired  on  the  5th  of  April, 
we  sailed  out  of  the  great  harbour  at  Malta, 
bade  farewell  to  Europe,  and  with  a  fair  but 
not  strong  breeze,  we  proceeded  towards  Alex- 
andria. Our  fellow  passengers  were  some  Ger- 
man clergymen,  sent  out  by  the  Church  Mis- 
sionary Society.  Mr.  Kugler,  destined  for 
Abyssinia  ;  Mr.  Krus^,  with  his  wife,  bound  to 
Grand  Cairo.      We  felt  deeply  interested  in 


106 


GERMAN  MISSIONARIES. 


their  welfare;  they  were  quite  young,  but 
evidently  wrapped  up  in  the  good  cause  they 
were  engaged  in.  They  had  forsaken  their 
country,  their  friends,  and  all  that  makes  life 
dear,  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  tlie  dark  corners 
of  the  earth,  and  we  could  but  look  upon  them 
in  the  light  of  self-devoted  martyrs.  Our  cabin 
was  separated  from  theirs  by  a  very  slight  par- 
tition, and  it  was  amusing,  and  by  no  means 
unedifying,  to  hear  the  warm  theological  dis- 
cussions carried  on  between  them  and  the  offi- 
cers of  the  ship ;  the  manly,  but  artless  sim- 
plicity and  singleness  of  heart  of  the  former, 
engaged  with  the  shrewd  and  worldly  good 
sense  of  the  latter  ;  but  the  Germans  had  ever 
the  advantage,  as  much  as  the  sacred  cause  and 
object  to  which  they  were  devoting  their  ener- 
gies, was  superior  to  the  cotton  cargo  the  others 
were  in  pursuit  of.  On  Sunday  we  had  divine 
service  on  board,  and  with  the  blue  sky  for  our 
canopy,  upon  the  pathless  deep,  which  knows 
no  other  master  than  the  Almighty,  it  was  far 
more  impressive  than  in  the  full-choired  ca- 
thedral, 

"  Where  through  the  long-drawn  aisle  and  fretted  vault, 
Tiie  pealing  anthem  swells  the  voice  of  praise." 
For  several  days  we  saw  nothing  but  the  hea- 
vens and  the  sea.    The  evenings  were  lovely, 
and  after  the  glorious  sun  had  set  in  a  flood  of 


AIARM  OF  PIRATES.  |07 

gold,  when  the  silver  crescent  of  the  moon  ap- 
peared in  the  west,  and  the  stars  emitted  a 
brilliant  light,  it  were  impossible  to  conceive  a 
more  enchanting  scene.  A  ship  in  full  sail, 
with  a  steady  wind  and  calm  sea,  is  a  magni- 
ficent sight,  and  that  sea  was  the  classical  Me- 
diterranean !  When  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Crete,  the  birth-place  of  Dardanian  Jove,  "a 
sail  a-head"  was  the  cry  !  Tlie  Captain's  round, 
ruddy  face  fell  —  a  little — and  but  a  little.  We 
were  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  pirates.  The 
wind  suddenly  veered  round  into  an  unfavour- 
able quarter ;  the  telescopes  were  handed  round 
with  the  utmost  anxiety,  and  dreadful  stories 
of  the  atrocities  of  the  corsairs  were  immedi- 
ately in  circulation.    Excepting  C 's  pistols, 

there  was  not  a  single  weapon  of  offence  or 
defence  on  board,  and  consequently  resistance 
was  out  of  the  question.  The  Eliza  belonged 
to  a  Quaker,  who  %vould  not  allow  any  arms  to 
be  taken ;  but  as  self-defence  is  the  first  law  of 
nature,  it  surely  was  scarcely  right  to  risk  the 
lives  and  liberties  of  iiis  passengers  for  a  scru- 
ple. Whilst  we  were  anticipating  boarding, 
captivity,  and  slavery,  several  ships  bore  down 
upon  us- — hailed  us — and — passed  on  ! 

On  the  13th  the  coast  was  descried,  and  it 
was  the  land  of  Africa !  Low  sandy  cliffs 
presented  themselves,  and  a  swarm  of  flies  pro- 


108 


ALEXANDRIA. 


claimed  our  vicinity  to  that  country,  where 
they  were  once  sent  as  a  plague  to  its  hard- 
hearted rnonarch.  Cape  Deras  we  saw  in  the 
morning,  and  Arab's  tower  in  the  evening.  On 
the  following  day,  Pompey's  Pillar  was  dis- 
tinctly visible  with  a  glass,  tall  and  slender  as 
a  needle ;  and  on  the  15th,  Alexandria  was 
the  cry ;  we  had  reached  our  wished-for  haven  ! 
Soon  down  came  Giovanni,  (a  Maltese  servant 
whom  we  had  engaged  in  the  place  of  our 
Swiss  courier,)  breathless  with  rage,  and  unin- 
telligible from  passion.  "  Tak'em  !  tak'em  ! 
the  Turk,"  was  all  he  could  utter  for  some 
time,  pointing  expressively  at  his  master's  feet. 

C 's  slippers,  which  had  been  accidentally 

left  on  deck,  were  not  forthcoming,  and  Gio- 
vanni, immediately  attributing  their  disap- 
pearance to  the  Turks  on  board,  came  down  to 
communicate  his  wratliful  suspicions  to  us. 

When  1  went  upon  deck,  I  had  ocular  de- 
monstration that  we  were  arrived  in  another 
quarter  of  the  world.  There  sat,  or  rather 
squatted  cross-legged,  a  turbaned  Turk,  and 
around  him  stood  several  others,  very  ill-look- 
ing and  veiy  ill-dressed.  They  sur>'eyed  Mrs. 
Krus6  and  myself  with  looks  of  intense  curi- 
osity, as  if  perfectly  astonished  to  see  females 
emancipated  from  the  seclusion  of  the  Harem. 
Then  came  on  board  one  in  authority,  to  de- 


RECEPTION  AT  ALEXANDRIA, 


109 


I 


mand  our  names,  &c.  It  was  an  excellent 
scene.  Our  honest,  square-built,  John  Bull  of 
a  captain,  blushing,  and  looking  half-daunted, 
half  ashamed,  before  the  proud,  lord-Uke  looking 
Turk,  "  for  he  understood  not  one  word  of  their 
lingo,  not  he;" — Giovanni  Maltese  was  loudly 
called  for:  poor  Giovanni,  who  had  hitherto 
been  the  laughing-stock  of  the  crew  for  his 
foreign  ways  and  habits,  was  now  exalted  in- 
to an  interpreter.  "  The  captain  of  the  port 
sent  saiuti  (or  compliments)  to  our  captain." 
"  Much  obliged,"  was  the  laconic  reply.  Soon 
after,  off  came  another  boat  to  us,  and  Mr. 
Salt's  Janissary,  Selim,  a  remarkably  handsome, 
well-looking,  and  well-tlressed  person,  seem- 
ingly of  some  importance,  leaped  upon  board. 
He  immediately  recognised  and  shook  hands 
with  Giovanni,  sahited  me  with  "  Good  morn- 
ing, Madam,"  salaamed  C ,  and  finally  car- 
ried our  letters  of  introduction  to  the  Consul 
on  shore.  In  due  time  he  returned,  with  a 
very  polite  invitation  from  Mr.  Salt  to  his 
house ;  and  with  him  came  two  Indian  ser- 
vants, who  had  accompanied  Sir  Charles  Col- 
ville  hither,  and  whom  he  had  kindly  de- 
sired to  await  our  arrival.  Sheik  Chaund,  a 
Mussidman,  was  clad  in  the  light  cotton  an- 
grica  and  turban  of  the  East,  and  Matiste,  a 
Portuguese,   a  native  of  Goa,  had   a  face  as 


no 


ATTENDANTS  ON  SHORE. 


black,  and  hair  as  curly  as  a  negro's.  To  my 
great  surprise,  who  had  never  seen  the  Oriental 
form  of  salutation  from  an  inferior  to  a  supe- 
rior, the  former  bowed  almost  to  the  ground 
at  my  feet,  touching  his  forehead  with  his 
hand.  The  melange  of  nations  in  the  little  boat 
in  which  we  went  on  shore,  was  curious.  Be- 
fore our  English  selves,  squatted,  cross-legged, 
the  Janissary  Selim,  in  his  Turkish  dress ;  Sheik 
Chaund,  in  his  Indian  costume,  held  an  um- 
brella over  my  head,  to  shelter  me  from  the 
noontide  sun,  the  Goa  Portuguese  sat  behind, 
and  we  were  rowed  by  native  Egyptian  sailors ; 
Europe,  Asia,  and  Africa !  When  we  landed, 
poor  indeed  were  the  wretched  objects  that 
crowded  around  us,  dark,  dingy,  dirty  and  ill- 
dressed.  Donkeys  were  in  waiting  for  us,  for 
carriages  are  almost  unknown  here,  and  as  I 
had  left  my  side-saddle  in  the  ship,  you  may 
conceive  my  consternation  at  seeing  none  but 
men's  saddles  brought  for  my  use.  However, 
as  I  coidd  not  resolve  to  mount  en  cavalier,  as 
the  Oriental  Frank  ladies  do,  I  seated  myself 
as  well  as  I  could  sideways,  every  minute  ex- 
pecting to  be  jolted  off,  but  the  Janissary  held 
me  on,  on  one  side,  and  Sheik  Chaund  obse- 
quiously held  the  umbrella  over  me,  on  the 
other,  and  the  donkey  trotted  on  — and 
could  have  laughed  at  my  own  situation, 


I 

ind  \~    ^M 

A 


MR.  SALT. 


HI 


The  road,  if  road  it  could  be  called,  was 
rough,  and  passed  over  innumerable  hillocks 
of  sand  and  rubbish.  We  met  several  Arab 
parties.  The  women  hid  their  faces,  and  tliey 
were  riding  on  camels  !  "  An  Arab  wife  !"  ex- 
claimed Selim,  who  was  acting  the  part  of 
cicerone,  and  anxiously  sliowing  off  hi.s  Eng- 
lish, for  my  edification.  In  a  narrow,  a  very 
narrow  place,  we  came  suddenly  upon  a  string 
of  loaded  camels,  which  it  was  necessary  for  us 
to  pass,  and  they  stretched  out  their  ugly  necks 
one  way,  and  they  stretched  them  out  the 
other,  and  they  looked  lialf  determined  to  eat 
me  up,  as  they  stalked,  stalked,  stalked  on  close 
to  me,  so  close  that  I  could  have  touched  them, 

C called  out,    "  Do  not   be  afraid ;"  and 

the  Janissary  told  me  not  to  mind  ;  however,  I 
could  but  think  them  very  monstrous-looking 
creatures,  and  I  sincerely  wished  myself  safely 
in  England.  At  last  we  reached  Mr.  Salt's 
country  house,  which  was  built  very  much  in 
the  ItaUan  style,  with  one  long  sala  in  the 
middle,  upon  which  all  the  other  apartments 
opened,  and  with  a  flat-terraced  roof.  We  were 
received  by  the  Consul  with  the  utmost  civi^ 
lity,  but  I  thought  of  tiie  Arabian  Nights, 
when,  on  his  clapping  his  hands,  a  black  slave 
made  his  appearance,  fortunately,  however,  not 
with   a   scimitar   to    cut  off  our   heads,   with 


112 


DIOCLETIAN'S  PILLAR. 


■whicb  Zobeide  treated  the  Calipli  Haroun  Al- 
raschid  and  the  three  Calendars,  but  bearing 
refreshments.  Coffee,  in  beautiful  little  china 
cups,  which  would  have  delighted  many  an 
old  dowager  in  England,  in  delicate  stands,  or 
saucers  of  filigree  gold,  was  brought  upon  a 
silver  waiter  by  the  Mussuhnan  .^Vbdallah. 

From  the  window  we  looked  over  a  garden 
of  date-trees  and  saw  Pompey's  Pillar;  over  a 
dusty,  brown  and  undulating  plain  we  beheld 
Cleopatra's  Needle.  A  Turkish  mosque  rose 
in  front — camels  with  tlieir  Arab  drivers  slowly 
stalked  by,  and  donkeys  with  Turkish  riders 
sitting  cross-legged  on  their  back. 

"  'Twas  strange,  'twas  passing  strange," 
to  see  these  objects :  wliat  we  had  so  often  read, 
and  heard,  and  talked  of;    we  could  scarcely 
believe  our  own  identity  ! 

In  the  evening  Mr.  Salt's  Cancelliere,  or 
Secretary,  a  young  Venetian,  offered  to  escort 
us  to  the  far-famed  Pompey's,  or,  as  it  is  now 
discovered  to  be,  Diocletian's  Pillar.  It  is  a 
noble  column  ;  one  tall,  superb,  unbroken  mass 
of  granite ;  standing  like  a  monument  of  olden 
time,  it  seems  to  tell  of  by-gone  days,  and  yet 
this  survivor  of  its  own  times  seems  quickly 
approaching  to  destruction,  for  the  shaft  has 
left  the  base  considerably,  and  a  gap  of  con- 
siderable   dimensions  now  intervenes.     As  we 


TEIK  HAMAZAN.  1|3 

stood  contemplating  this  rine  Pillar,  which 
stands  on  a  considerable  elevation,  the  glorious 
sun  was  setting  in  the  west,  the  silvery  crescent 
of  the  moon  was  shining  on  high,  and  daylight 
gradually  disappearing  in  all  the  softened  brilli- 
sncy  of  an  Egyptian  evening.  The  Lake  Mare- 
otis,  with  the  Canal,  lay  before  ns,  with  numer- 
ous  Cangias  gliding  on  its  bosom.  Alexandria, 
mth  its  mosques  and  minarets,  was  at  a  little 
distance:  a  noise  of  rude  merriment  floated 
on  the  air.  "  It  is  the  Ramazan,"  observed 
the  Venetian.  As  we  returned  through  the 
arched  gateway  of  old  Alexandria,  the  Turks 
were  prostrating  themselves  at  their  evening 
devotions.  This  was  indeed  a  day  of  days  in 
my  life  ;  one  does  not  often  meet  with  so  much 
to  excite  in  this  "  worky-day  world  !" 


I.KTTER  XIV. 


Franks  at  Alexanilria. — Cleopatra's  Needle.  —  Costume  or 
Egyptian  Women, — Flies.— Native  Music. — Camseen. — 
Plague.— Public  Balhs,  — Visit  from  llie  Aga  of  AIpk- 
andria. — Curiosities  from  Thebes. — Mr.  Salt. 

On  the  morning  of  the  14th  of  April,  for 
the  first  time,  I  saw  the  sun  rise  over  a  gar- 
den  of  date-trees,  in  which  Mr.  Salt's  house 

VOL.    I.  I 


114 


tUANKS  AT  ALCXANDIUA. 


was  situated,  and  as  their  light  feathery  tops 
waved  and  danced  in  the  morning  beams,  I  be- 
lieved myself  to  be  actually  in  Africa,  for  hi- 
thertol  could  have  fancied  I  had  been  in  a  dream. 
It  being  Sunday,  Mr.  Thunberg,  the  Swedish 
Consul,  Mr.  Madden,  (the  traveller,)  and  many 
of  the  European  Residents  called,  and  this  seems 
tobe  the  principal  manner  in  which  theCiiristian 
Franks  celebrate  the  day  in  Egypt.  The  upper 
part  of  the  principal  Sala  was  furnished  in  the 
Oriental  fashion,  with  deep  sofas  and  very  thick 
cushions,  at  once  serving  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  Europeans  and  Turks,  and  as  this  was 
our  morning  sitting-room,  as  well  as  where  the 
Consul  received  his  guests,  we  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  a  curious  melange  of  nations 
and  customs.  The  visitors  generally  walked 
in  unannounced ;  sometimes  appeared  a  stately, 
dignified,  well-dressed  Turk,  with  his  graceful 
salaam,  in  which  I  was  always  carefully  and 
most  respectfully  included.  He,  perhaps,  was 
followed  by  an  Italian  resident,  or  a  Greek  ad- 
venturer; an  English  captain  upon  business,  or 
an  Arab  Fellah  with  a  complaint.  We  were 
somewhat  amused  with  one  who  came  up  in  a 
most  intense  rage  ;  and  after  a  long  story  of  his 
grievances,  he  most  significantly  and  energeti- 
cally concluded  by  giving  himself^  violent  box 
on  the  ear,  with  "  Giovanni  Maltese."    Mr.  Salt's. 


\ISIT  TO  CLi:OPATIL:\'S  NEEDLE.  ]  15 

head  servant,  a  Maltese,  and  he  had  been  quar- 
relling, and  the  Consul  was  obliged  to  go  out 
and  make  peace  ;  a  circumstance,  he  observed, 
of  no  unusual  occurrence, 

C accompanied  Mr.  Salt  on    a   visit  of 

ceremony  to  one  of  the  Consuls,  where  he  saw 
several  Greek  ladies,  in  the  costume  of  their 
country,  sitting  cross-legged  on  the  sofa,  and  a 
few  Italian  and  French,  but  no  English.  In- 
deed, I  believe  it  to  be  almost  universally  re- 
marked, that  however  migratory  our  country- 
women may  be  in  disposition,  they  seldom  settle 
abroad,  for  all  the  Consuls'  wives  are  foreign- 
ers. They  seemed  enjoying  the  '■  dolce  far 
niente"  of  Oriental  climates,  which  to  use  an 
Irish  expression,  is  perhaps  the  only  thing  that 
Europeans  can  do  in  these  sultry  countries. 
In  the  evening,  as  Mr.  Salt  seemed  to  think 

there  was  no  danger,  C ~  and  I  took  a  t^te- 

a-fete  walk  to  Cleopatra's  Needle.  We  passed 
some  fine  shafts  of  granite,  and  over  numerous 
heaps  of  rubbish  and  excavated  mounds  of 
earth,  apparently  the  former  foundations  of  tlie 
houses  of  ancient  Alexandria.  No  traces  of 
cultivation  were  to  be  seen,  but  desolation 
reigned  around  ;  and  in  an  out  of  the  way. 
neglected  spot,  close  to  the  sea-slioro,  where 
once  the  great  ones  of  the  eartli  held  their 
fantastic  revels,  stood  the  obelisk  which  bears 


116  VISIT  TO  CLEOPATRA'S  NEEDLE. 

the  name  of  that  cunning  gipsy,  who  queened 
it  so  bravely  over  tlie  lords  of  the  world,  and 
for  the  sake  of  whose  beaux  i/eux  an  empire 
was  lost  by  the  love-stricken  Antony. 

A  few  yards  distant,  prone  on  the  ground, 
and    deeply    embedded   in    the   sand,  lies   the 
fellow    obelisk ;    two  sides  of  which  are   very 
perfect,  but  the  others  are  much  injured,  ajid 
covered  with  lichen  and  moss.    We  walked  over 
this  fallen  monument  of  greatness,  which,  it  is 
said,  was  at  one  time  to  have  been  taken  to  Eng- 
gland;  but  the  ancient  Romans  surpassed  us  in 
this  respect,  for  whilst  we  cannot  contrive  to 
carry  away  an  obelisk  which  is  on  the  sea-shore, 
they  were  wont  to  convey  them  from  Thebes  to 
the  city  of  Rome.     Some  Turks  in  the  vicinity  I 
stared  to  see  two  Frank  strangers  wandering 
unprotected    among    their    ruins  :    the    dogs, 
half  canine,  half  jackal  in  their   nature,  each  j 
from    his  strong  hold  on  liis  own   hillock   of  1 
sand,  barked  and  yelped  at  us  most  furiously. 
A  stone  was  flung,  whether  meant  for  them  or  j 
ns,  in  oiFence  or  defence,  we  knew  not,  there-  I 
fore    as   it  was   growing   dusk  we   prudently  I 
wended  our  way  homewards,  passing  many  an.  I 
Arab  party  in  our  way.     At  the  doors  of  their  I 
low  and  miserable  huts,  sat  the  Fellahs,  with-| 
their  wives  by  their  sides,  dandling  and  1 
ling    their    babes    with    paternal    exultation  i 


COSTUME  OF  EGYPTIAN  WOMEN.  H? 

happiness  illuminated  their  dingy  counte- 
nances, and  affection  dwelt  in  the  smile  with 
which  they  proudly  exhibited  them  to  us,  as 
we  walked  by. 

The  costume  of  the  Egyptian  women  con- 
sists of  a  coarse  blue  shift,  descending  to  their 
feet,  with  fashionably  large  sleeves  ;  a  piece  of 
cloth  tied  over  their  faces,  leaving  tlie  eyes 
visible,  and  another,  in  the  style  of  the  man- 
tilla, over  their  heads  ;  and  this,  when  they  meet 
any  one,  tliey  draw  over  their  faces.  I  imitated 
them  in  this  particular,  by  always  iiolding  my 
shawl  up  to  my  face,  and  keeping  my  veil 
down ;  but  though  my  English  attire  excited 
the  utmost  attention,  and  in  particular  my 
black  jean  half  boots,  a  white  face  and  black 
feet,  being  what  they  could  not  comprehend, 
yet  I  was  constantly  treated  wherever  I  went 
with  the  utmost  deference  and  respect,  and 
though  they  furtively  watched  me,  whenever 
the  men  saw  it  was  observed,  they  immediate- 
ly turned  away.  A  good  lesson  for  Bond- 
street  and  Regent-street  loungers,  who  think 
it  gentlemanly  to  stare  a  woman  out  of  counte- 
nance. 

It  is  not  easy  to  describe  what  a  terrible 
torment  the  flies  were,  particularly  at  meals; 
and  though  I  was  at  first  surprised,  and  indeed 
almost  annoyed,  to  find  our  servant  constantly 


J  18  THE  CAiMSEEN. 

taking  liis  station  behind  me,  and  waving  a 
cliowree,  or  Indian  fan,  over  my  head,  I  soon 
found  it  was  by  no  means  a  useless  ceremony, 
or  one  of  mere  show.  This  being  the  fast  of 
Ramazan,  during  which  period  the  faithful 
Mussulmans  never  eat  whilst  the  sun  is  above 
the  horizon,  tliey  feast  and  amuse  themselves 
for  hours  after  it  is  set,  and  in  consequence 
we  every  night  heard  native  music ;  there 
was  something  wild  and  by  no  means  unme- 
lodious  in  the  sound,  wafted  from,  and  soft- 
ened by  the  distance. 

On  the  T7th,  the  morning  was  lovely,  but 
soon  afterwards  a  dense  and  heavy  fog  came 
on,  which  lasted  for  an  hour  or  two,  and  then 
the  Camseen,  or  Hamseen,  began  to  blow  :  the 
terrible  wind   which  prevails  more  or  less  for  , 
fifty   days  in  Egypt  during  the  spring,  and  ) 
whose  effects  are  so  dreadfid,  tliat  were  it  to  i 
continue  for  more  than  two  or  three  days  con- 
secutively, all  animated  nature  would  be  de- 
stroyed.    It  has  the  enervating  and  dispiriting 
effects  of  the  Sirocco,  and  sweeping  across  the 
deserts  of  Africa,  it  brings  with  it  dense  and 
moving  clouds  of  sand.     Though    every  win- 
dow and  door  was  closed,  all  parts  of  the  house 
were  filled  with  it,  and  it  penetrated  into  our 
hair,  our  food,  and  our  dress.     Fancy  to  your-  ' 
self  the   most   dense   and   gloomy    November 


THE  PLAGL'E. 


119 


London  fog  yoii  ever  saw,  with  a  dark  and 
lurid  atmosphere,  impregnated  with  dust,  and 
accompanied  by  a  hollow  mournful  sound,  and 
you  will  have  a  faint  idea  of  the  Camseen  ;  but 
the  blast  heats  instead  of  cooHng;  the  skin  is 
parched,  and  a  violent  tliirst  ensues,  which  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  assuage.  It  blew  in- 
cessantly for  three  days,  with  but  one  short 
interval,  when  a  shower  of  rain  fell  for  twenty 
minutes,  and  Mr.  Salt  observed  he  had  never  seen 
it  more  violent.  This  wind  is  most  unhealthy, 
and  is  generally  the  precursor  of  that  dreadful 
scourge  the  plague.  Several  accidents  had 
already  occurred  in  Alexandria,  wliich  is  the 
delicate  way  of  announcing  its  commencement, 
and  we  were  consequently  anxious  to  set  oif 
before  it  had  more  generally  spread.  During 
the  plague  season,  almost  as  much  a  thing 
of  course  in  Egypt,  as  the  return  of  the 
spring,  the  Europeans  entirely  confine  them- 
selves to  their  houses,  holding  no  communica- 
tion but  what  is  absolutely  necessary  witli  the 
exterior  world ;  their  houses  are  barricadoed 
with  as  many  precautions  as  if  the  city  were 
besieged. 

"  The  sullen  Joor, 

Yet  uninfecled.  on  its  cautious  hinge 

Fettring  to  turn,  abhors  society  ;" 

and  the  months  of  seclusion,  when  "  the  pesti- 


120 


PUBLIC  BATHS. 


lence  walketh  in  darkness,  and  the  sickness 
destroyeth  in  the  noonday,"  appear  to  be  of  the 
most  awful  aiid  appaUing  nature.  We  could 
not  be  sufficiently  thankful  to  Divine  Provi- 
dence, for  guarding  and  protecting  us  from 
this  terrible  danger. 

C paid  a  visit  to  the  public  baths,  and 

was  rubbed,  pinched,   steamified,    shampooed, 
and    purified    in    the    most  approved  Turkish 
fashion.     He  described  tlie   sensation  as  most 
delightful;  but  though  they  thrice  in  the  week 
are  appropriated  to  the  use  of  females,  and  the 
Consul  toldme,!  could  go,  if  so  disposed,  I  could  . 
not  resolve  to  venture  all  alone,  and  I  was  con- 
sequently obliged  to  rest  satisfied  with  Ladjr  J 
Mary   Wortley    Montague's    account.     In    his  | 
walks,  C met  with  a  German,  a  former  fel- 
low-voyager of  ours  from  Messina    to  Malta, 
whom  we  had  denominated  Pharaoh's  baker,  as 
he  was  going  to  Egypt  to  serve  Mahomet  Ali  in  ] 
that  capacity.      His  fine  hopes  had  been  disap-  I 
pointed,  as  is  frequently  the  case  with  Euro*  J 
peans  who  go  to  Egypt  in  hopes  of  employ- 
ment, and,  though  at  liberty,  he  was  wandering  J 
about  in  a  very  disconsolate  state,  and  was  most  J 

happy  to  accept  C- — 's  offer  of  recommending 

him  to  his  countrymen,  the  German  Mission-  j 
aries,  who  gladly  engaged  him  as  a  servant. 

One  evening,  as  the  Consul  and  we  were  sit- J 


THE  AGA  OF  ALEXANDRIA. 


121 


ting  at  tea,  quite  in  the  English  fashion,  and 
talking  over  our  friends  in  the  green  Isles  of 
the  W'est,  a  considerable  bustle  was  heard  on 
the  stairs,  and  to  our  great  surprise,  in  walked — 
the  Aga  of  Alexandria  and  his  Tahlanjee  !'  The 
former  was  a  good-looking,  middle-aged  man, 
with  very  polished,  and  even  dignified  man- 
ners, clad  in  a  handsome,  hut  sober  suit  of 
brown,  and  with  a  white  turban  on  his  head ; 
the  latter,  a  Neapolitan  Renegado,  was  gaily- 
dressed  in  a  scarlet  vest,  covered  with  gold.  He 
possessed  his  country's  energy  and  vivacity,  and 
addressed  me  at  once  with  all  the  airs  of  a  petit 
maitre,  questioning  me  about  my  travels,  and 
talking  to  me  in  Italian  of  "  Lady  Maliree,  and 
her  nice  children,  Miss  Bathurst,  balls,"  &c.  The 
Aga  only  spoke  Turkish, — and  his  conversation 
turned  upon  Tripolizza, — the  Greeks,  the  Pasha, 
Ate ; — both  he  and  the  Tahlanjee  taking  the 
opportunity  of  abusing  the  French  vehemently, 
as  a  sort  of  compliment,  which  they  considered 
as  acceptable  and  pleasing  to  the  English.  They 
took  tea  «  la  mode  A}iglaise  ;  and  at  retiring, 
they  salaamed  me  in  the  most  graceful  and  re- 
spectful manner,  and  shook  hands  with  C— — 
with  the  greatest  cordiality.  As  the  Consul 
offered  to  attend  them  down  stairs,  the  Aga 
stopped  him  with  the  utmost  energy,  and  it 
•  Aide-de-aimp. 


122 


CnUUSITIKS  FROM  TIIEBKS. 


was  quite  amusing,  to  see  the  Turk  and  the 
Englishman  striving  who  should  be  tlie  most 
polite.  This  call  was  a  most  unusual  and  un- 
precedented one,  for  Mr.  Salt  hail  not  returned 
the  last,  and  he  therefore  attributed  it  to  cu- 
riosity on  the  part  of  the  Aga  to  see  his  English 
guests.  I  was  in  my  usual  costume,  and  you  can 
have  no  conception  how  perfectly  uncomfort- 
able I  felt  without  my  veil,  for  the  women  so 
invariably  cover  their  faces  in  Egypt,  that  I  was 
quite  ashamed  of  showing  mine  at  Alexandria. 
We  were  fortunate  enough  to  be  present, 
when  Mr.  Salt  opened  a  packet  of  curiosi- 
ties from  Thebes,  which  was  sent  to  him  by 
his  agent,  who  was  established  there  for  the 
purpose  of  making  the  collection.  Some  of 
them  he  pronounced  to  be  very  rare  and  valu- 
able, particularly  the  image  of  a  Persian  King 
in  silver,  which,  to  his  great  annoyance,  and  to 
its  great  detriment,  they  had  been  endeavour- 
ing to  clean,  and  had  removed  the  venerable 
dust  of  ages  in  a  very  rough  manner.  It  was  ' 
covered  with  the  Persepolitan  arrow-headed 
character,  which  has,  I  believe,  never  been  de- 
cyphered.  There  were  also  several  mummy 
necklaces,  with  small,  and  by  no  means  un- 
pretty  ornaments  hanging  to  them,  resembling 
delicate  seals ;  also  several  scarabei,  and  other 


MR.  SA1.T.  123 

trinkets,  of  some  of  which  the  Consul  kindly 
made  me  a  present. 

What  a  pity  it  was  that  the  members  of  our 
Government  should  have  been  seized  witii  such 
an  unlucky  fit  of  economy,  when  Mr.  Salt  offer- 
ed his  collection  of  curiosities  to  them  for  sale, 
and  which,  in  consequence  of  their  refusing  to 
purchase  them,  have  now  passed  into  the  hands 
of  the  French,  who  gave  ten  thousand  pounds 
for  the  wliole,  for,  from  his  knowledge,  and 
power  of  procuring  what  was  most  valuable, 
they  would  doubtless  have  been  a  noble  addi- 
tion to  any  museum.  Mr.  Salt  was  rather  a 
fine-looking  man,  with  a  considerable  degree  of 

lassitude  in  Ins  manners,  which  gave  C- an 

impression  he  was  at  that  time  suffering  under 
a  liver  complaint.  When  engaged  in  conver- 
sation, however,  this  vanished,  and  from  liavmg 
been  much  with  the  literary  and  politically 
Great,  possessing  a  well-informed  mind,  and  con- 
siderable taste  for  literature  and  the  beaux  arts, 
he  had  great  powers  of  entertainment,  and  was  a 
very  amusing  companion.  He  showed  us  liis 
paintings,  liis  poetry^he  appeared  delighted 
to  meet  with  some  one  who  could  enter  into  bis 
pursuits  and  feelings — and  it  seemed  a  refresh- 
ment to  him,  to  turn  from  the  price  of  cotton, 
or  from  some  trifling  dispute  of  English  Captains 


124      DEPARTURE  FROM  ALEXANDRIA. 

or  Arab  Fellahs,  to  the  works  of  Madame  de 
Stael  and  Walter  Scott,  I  confess,  I  never  ex- 
pected to  have  discussed  the  merits  of  Corinne 
and  Rob  Roy  at  Alexandria!  On  the  19th,  in 
spite  of  the  Camseen,  and  his  kind  wishes  for  us 
to  prolong  our  stay,  we  took  leave  of  our  kind 
host,  trusting  to  meet  in  England  at  some  fu- 
ture period.  Alas !  we  little  thought  his  end 
was  so  near,  when  we  bade  him  farewell. 


LETTER  XV. 

Embarkation  on  the  Canal  of  Mahmoudieh. — Maash. — 
Cock-roaches. — Journey  from  the  Canal  to  El  Aft. — Na- 
tives.— Scenery  on  the  Nile. — Flirting  scene — Giovanni, 
Cameriere  to  Napoleon. — Boulac. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  19th,  attended  by 
the  Janissary  Selim,  we  mounted  our  donkeys 
and  rode  to  the  Canal  of  Mahmoudieh,  where 
our  Maash  was  waiting  for  us.  The  Camseen 
had  sunk,  the  moon  shone  brightly,  the  even- 
ing was  delightful,  we  talked  of  Cleopatra, 
and  we  agreed  that  every  thing  was  very  novel, 
pleasant,  and  agreeable.  We  met  several  boats 
laden  with  cotton  ;  it  required  some  dexterity 
to  keep  dear  of  each  other,  and,  in  passing 
rapidly,  the  rigging  not  unfrequently  caught, 


CANAL  OF  MAIlMOrDIEII. 


J  25 


I 


to  the  mutual  detriment  of  both  vessels.  On  a 
slight  dispute  arising,  Selim  caught  up  his  sil- 
ver stick,  his  badge  of  autiiority,  and  silence  on 
its  appearance  immediately  ensued.     A  heavy 

dew  beginning  to    fall,   C ~  recommended 

my  retiring  to  the  cabin,  which  was  abo\it  sis 
feet  square,  and  four  feet  liigli,  so  that  for  the 
first  time  in  my  life  I  positively  found  myself 
foo  tali!  On  the  lamp  being  lighted,  to  my 
great  consternation,  we  discovered  tlioiisands 
and  ten  thousands  of  cock-roaches  running 
merrily  about  in  every  direction,  and  absolutely 
over  our  couches  ;  and  we  had  also  the  pleasure 
of  finding  our  boat  was  infested  by  rats,  which 
paid  us  repeated  visits  during  the  niglit. 

The  morning  beamed  fresh  and  lovely,  and, 
about  noon,  we  reached  tlie  point  where  we 
were  to  disembark,  and  to  proceed  to  the  Nile 
overland,  as  the  water  in  the  Canal  was  not 
deep  enough  for  us  to  continue  upon  it ;  seve- 
ral boats  were  moored  there,  chiefly  laden  with 
cotton.  A  rude  tent  was  pitched,  beneath 
which  reclined  Turks,  and  Arabs,  and  Egyp- 
tian Fellahs,  in  tlieir  various  costumes,  the 
green  turban  betokening  the  wearer  to  be  a 
descendant  of  Mahomet.  Arab  women  were 
on  the  banks,  in  then*  blue  robes,  and  half 
naked  infants  were  crawling  and  running  about 
in  every  direction.     Whilst  they  were  moving 


126 


JtnUNEY  TO  CAIKO, 


our  luggage,  we  liad  a  couple  of  chairs  placed 
beneath  some  dwarf  willows,  which  gave  just 
enough  shade  to  make  us  sigh  for  more,  it 
being  intensely  hot.  Numerous  water-mills 
emitted  a  droning  sound  ;  several  kites  hovered 
over  our  heads,  flapping  heavily  their  wings. 
The  children  crowded  round  us,  sat  down, 
eyeing  us  with  looks  of  curiosity,  and  held  out 
tlieir  hands  for  "  bucksheesh  ;"  whilst  some  re- 
spectable men,  approaching  us,  would  fain  have 
entered  into  conversation  with  us,  had  we  un- 
derstood their  language. 

The  Janissary  hired,  or,  perhaps,  rather  seized 
ten  camels  for  us,  in  the  name  of  the  Govern- 
ment, upon  which  all  the  drivers  simultaneously 
ran  away,  expecting  that  they  were  to  have,  in 
consequence,  no  remuneration.  This  caused  i 
considerable  delay,  and  more  than  an  hour  elaps-  ' 
ed  ere  our  little  caravan  was  ready,  and  I  now 

found  my  side-saddle  of  the  greatest  use.    C 

and  I  rode  at  tlie  head,  my  donkey  attended  by 
Selini,  and  the  ten  camels,  tied  together,  led  by- 
Sheik  Cliaund,  followed  with  our  luggage,  whilst 
the  rest  of  our  attendants  brought  up  the  rear. 
The  first  adventure  was  my  donkey  endea- 
vouring to  run  under  the  camels,  and  it  was 
with  some  difficulty  Selim  rescued  me  from 
the  impending  danger.  Then  crash  came  down 
one  of  the  camel's  loads.     It  proved  to  be  the 


ACROSS  TllK  DESERT.  |*27 

property  of  Mr.  Salt's  gardener,  who  liad  asked 
permission  to  accompany  us  to  Cairo,  but, 
though  a  faithful  Mussulman,  the  fall  betrayed 
the  cargo  to  be  wine  I  We  then  entered  a 
desert  tract,  where  not  a  shrub  or  blade  of  grass 
were  to  be  seen,  and  the  soil  resembled  the 
fissured  surface  of  a  horse-pond  when  dried  up 
by  intense  heat.  All  around  us  appeared  the 
mirage,  a  most  beautiful  delusion  ;  lakes  in  the 
distance  were  apparently  to  be  seen,  and  a  fine 
river,  on  whose  calm  bosom  trees  and  buildings 
were  distinctly  reflected  ;  so  complete  was  the 
deception,  that  it  was  some  time  before  we 
could  be  convinced  it  was  not  the  Nile  we 
beheld. 

In  about  three  hours'  time  we  reached  El 
Aft,  but  as  we  had  outstripped  the  camels, 
and  a  date-tree  was  our  only  shelter  from  the 

ardent  rays  of  the  afternoon  sun.    C asked 

for  a  house.  "  What  for,  want  house?"  asked 
Selini,  with  much  naiveli^,  who  seemed  to  think 
a  house  was  only  to  sleep  in.  In  one  we  at- 
tempted to  enter,  the  owner  was  shaving,  and 
sherbet  was  preparing ;  I  was,  therefore,  put 
into  the  cabin  of  a  Cangia,  which  was  neither 
high  enough  for  me  to  stand  in,  nor  was  there 
any  description  of  seat  to  sit  upon,  so  that  I 
was  forced,  bon  gre  mal  gre,  to  lie  down  upon 
the  floor  upon  my  cloak ;  but  whilst  waiting 


128 


JUURNEV  TO  CAIRO. 


for  our  baggage  to  come  up,  I  became  so  faint 
from  want  of  refreshment,  some  hours  having 

elapsed  since  breakfast,  that  C was  obbged 

to  go  in  search  of  some,  saying  "  Haram"  to 
the  Reis  as  he  left  me.  "  Haram,"  we  were 
told,  means  secret,  and  is  always  held  sacred. 
Though  there  were  none  but  nide  sailors  on 
board,  none  of  them  attempted  to  intrude  upon 
me,  or  to  molest  me,  whilst  I  was  alone ;  and 
the  Reis  roughly  reproved  a  man,  who,  not 
knowing  the  cabin  was  occupied,  was  about  to 
enter. 

The    only    boat   large   enough   to   be    safe^ 
was    a    Cangia,    in    miserable    repair,    which,  ' 
to  add  to  its  delights,  had    but  lately  had  a 
cargo  of  sugar,  so  that  the  ceiling  was  posi- 
tively encrusted  with  flies,  and  the  floor  was  I 
swarming  with  fleas  ;  however,  as  we  hoped  to 
reach  Cairo  on  the  following  day,  and  having 
no  other  alternative  tlian   to  return  to  Alex- 
andria, we  resolved  to  engage  it.    About  6  r.  M. 
we  got  under  weigh,  and  our  escort  Selim  re- 
turned to  Alexandria,  leaving  us  with  our  two  j 
Indian  attendants,  and    our  Alaltese  servants.  J 
As  C— —  spoke  Ilindoostanec,  and  I  myself  1 
Italian,  and  Sheik  Chaund  and  Giovanru,  Ara.  I 
bic,  they  served  as  interpreters  between  us  and'] 
the  crew.     We  passed  Foua  and  Salwyah  at  1 
sun-set,    and  on    the   following  moniing  wa-J 


EGYPTIAN  WOMEN, 


129 


I 
I 
I 


^^K 


found  ourselves  under  the  lee  of  a  sand-bank, 
opposite  Khafir  Daour.  The  wind  being  too 
strong  to  proceed  witliout  danger  of  founder- 
ing, our  Cangia,  with  two  or  three  others  that 
accompanied  us,  was  aground,  and  their  re- 
spective creivs  upon  shore,  fast  asleep.  We 
were  forced  to  adopt  " pftt'ien^'  for  our  motto, 
and  we  amused  ourselves  with  taking  a  walk 
on  the  banks  of  the  river,  though  it  was  with 
difficulty  we  avoided  treading  on  the  men  who 
were  lying  scattered  about  in  every  direction, 
wrapped  in  immense  cloaks.  As  soon  as  our 
Reis  perceived  our  intention,  he  insisted  on  ac- 
companj-ing  us,  as  be  made  signs  it  was  unsafe 
for  us  to  venture  alone ;  and,  after  attempting 
for  some   time    to  converse  with    us,  kissing 

C "s  hand,  he  ran  and  collected  some  flowers, 

which  he  presented  to  him.  A  Frenchman 
would  have  offered  them  to  me ;  however,  every 
nation  has  its  customs,  and  I  am  convinced  the 
Reis  intended  them  for  me,  whose  property 
they  immediately  became.  In  our  walks,  the 
women  in  the  village-s  and  on  the  banks,  eyed 
us  with  the  most  intense  curiosity.  Some  of 
them  were  much  ornamented  with  gold,  and 
their  veils  were  tied  up  between  the  eyes  with 
a  string  of  small  silver  bells.  Their  chief  oc- 
cupation appeared  to  be  the  drawing  and  carry- 
ing of  water  ;  the  children,  generally  in  a  com- 
voi..  I.  K 


130  EGYPTIAN  WOMEN. 

plete  state  of  nature,  were  frequently  niHch 
frightened  at  our  appearance,  and  one  of  them, 
on  meeting  us,  ran  quickly  away,  crying  out 
"  Mamma,  Mamma,"  in  as  broad  a  tone  as  any 
little  Scotch  boy  could  have  done.  The  men 
laughed  good-naturedly,  but  not  disrespectfully 
at  our  foreign  appearance,  and  turned  away 
their  eyes,  exclaiming,  "  Haram  !"  One  morn- 
ing, I  felt  myself  suddeiily  caught  hold  of,  and 
turning,  in  some  degree  of  alarm,  I  beheld  a 
woman  in  the  blue  dress  of  the  country,  com- 
pletely veiled,  offering  her  hand,  and  exclaim- 
ing, at  the  utmost  pitch  of  her  voice,  "  Salamat ! 
Salamat !"  I  returned  the  salutation,  and  gave 
her  my  hand  in  return,  upon  which  she  made 
signs  for  me  to  follow  her  to  her  house,  in  a 
village  at  a  little  distance,  but  1  was  afraid  of 
accompanying  her,  as  the    invitation  did   not  ■ 

extend  to  C .     She,  however,  offered  hep  ] 

hand  to  him  in  a  very  friendly  manner,  and  I 
seemed  very  well  pleased  at  his  putting  some  1 
piastres  into  it. 

We  saw  nothing  of  the  so  much  boasted  I 
fertility  of  the  Delta,  and  the  country  was  by  no  I 
means  as  luxuriant  as  is  customary  in  the  ira-  I 
mediate  vicinity  of  rivers  in  general.  The  land  | 
appeared  all  arable,  and  a  very  light  soil ;  there  1 
was  no  pasture ;  but  there  were  wheat,  barley, 
flax,  and  quantities  of  melon  beds,  with  whichj 


BANKS  (IF  TIIF.  NILE-SCENEItY. 


of    the  numerous    islets 


131 
ntirely 


I 


many 

covered.  The  Nile  was  very  low,  and  the  sailors 
were  constantly  obliged  to  jump  into  the  water,  to 
push  the  boatoflfa  sandbank,  or  to  tow  it  along 
the  banks.  We  passed  numerous  buffaloes  wal- 
lowing in  the  water,  their  noses  upturned  to 
Heaven,  quaffing  the  ambient  air ;  and  there 
were  beautiful  white  batta  birds,  standing  and 
admiring  themselves  in  the  river.  The  scenery, 
on  the  whole,  was  very  monotonous,  but  the 
climate  was  delightful,  the  heat  being  plea- 
santly attempered  by  fresh  breezes.  A  fine 
cloudless  sky — a  wide  dusky-brown  river,  which 
irequently  assumed  the  appearance  of  a  lake  — 
low  shelving  banks— small  mud  villages,  with  a 
few  date  and  other  fruit-trees— a  lone  mosque — 
Fellahs  tilling  the  ground,  and  planting  melons 
—  half  naked  countrymen  fishing — women  in 
their  blue  dress  carrying  water — the  ox  turning 
water-mills — the  cooing  of  doves— the  caw- 
ing of  rooks— tlic  cry  of  the  pee-wit— and  the 
sweet  notes  of  the  bulbul — were  the  chief 
sounds  and  siglits  that  greeted  us  between 
Alexandria  and  Cairo.  The  banks  were  oc- 
casionally perforated  most  regularly  and  cu- 
riously in  perfectly  straight  lines,  by  the  sand 
swallow,  to  the  number,  perhaps,  of  a  thousand 
holes,  and  tlie  male  birds  kept  watch  in  front 
of  each  domicile.  At  Sallaggar  the  ground  was 
K  S 


I oi  eacii  QO] 


132 


A  TURK  AT  HIS  DEVOTIONS, 


covered  with  the  Convolvulus  arvensis ;  1 
thought  of  Rousseau,  and  "  voila  la  pervanche," 
as  home  and  all  its  charms  rose  to  my  mind, 
and  I  involuntarily  exclaimed,  "  This  grows  at 
WindmiU  HiU !" 

At  Nadir  we  saw  one  of  the  telegraphic 
towers,  which  are  to  be  built  every  twelve 
mUes,  for  the  purpose  of  giving  information 
what  boats  ascend  and  descend  the  river. 
Near  Kal  el  Gazi,  we  stopped  for  fire-wood, 
and  pomeg^ranate  was  brought,  rich  in  all  its 
scarlet  honours.  Whilst  waiting,  I  acciden- 
tally turned  my  eyes  to  the  shore,  where  was 
the  Reis,  who  at  first  I  actually  thought  was 
possessed.  There  stood  the  old  man,  some- 
times lifting  up  his  hands,  as  if  in  an  attitude 
of  astonishment,  sometimes  wiping  his  beard, 
then  prostrating  himself  on  the  ground,  and 
touching  it  with  his  forehead.  Anon,  jumping 
up,  he  began  again,  and  went  through  the 
whole  of  the  mummery  anew.  I  at  last  found 
out  he  was  at  his  devotions,  not,  perhaps,  the 
less  fervently  performed  from  perceiving  he 
was  observed.  Whilst  this  holy  farce  was  act- 
ing, a  very  different  scene  was  carrying  on  at 
a  little  distance.  A  party  of  native  women  ap- 
proached with  their  merchandise,  chiefly  con- 
sisting of  some  flat  wheaten  cakes.  The  dusky 
belles  at  first  cautiously  kept  their  dirty  sarrees. 


I 
I 


NATIVE  WOMEN. 


133 


or  mantillas,  over  their  faces  with  their  teeth, 
but  in  the  eagerness  of  chaffering,  the  envious 
veils  that  obscured  their  dingy  charms  from 
tlie  garish  eye  of  day,  by  degrees  deserted 
their  posts,  and  disclosed  their  features  to  view. 
Their  eyes  were  small,  and  sunk  in  their  heads; 
their  noses  flat ;  their  mouths  good,  and  with 
very  fine  teeth,  which  were  much  set  off"  by 
the  darkness  of  their  complexions.  There  was 
a  vivacity  and  archness  in  the  expression  of 
their  countenances,  which  saved  them  from 
being  absolutely  plain.  One  or  two  of  them 
wore  gold  bangles,  necklaces,  and  ear-rings ;  the 
rest  were  attired  in  the  common  blue  dress  of 
the  country,  the  lower  part  of  the  face  being 
dyed  with  indigo,  and  their  nails  stained  with 
henna.  Whilst  they  were  bargaining,  a  coarse- 
looking  sailor,  one  of  our  crew,  flung  liiraself 
on  the  grass,  and  kept  on  humming  a  song, 
evidently  sarcastic  and  pointed,-  which  made 
some  look  ashamed,  and  forced  others  to  laugh. 
After  the  marketing  was  over,  the  women  all 
sat  down,  huddled  together,  on  the  ground,  and 
the  sailor  approached  tliem,  and  seated  himself 
among  them.  His  sullen  countenance  suddenly 
brightened  up,  and  he  cocked  his  chin  in  the  air, 
as  importantly  as  any  dandy  in  town  showing  off 
to  an  admiring  circle  of  demoiselles.  With  an 
air  of  familiar  gallantry,  he  patted  one  on  the 


134 


EGYPTIAN  GALLANTRY. 


shoulder,  whicii  was  coquettislil)'  repulsed.  He 
then  put  his  hand  into  his  vest,  and  produced 
a  dirty  rag,  and  a  coloured  cord,  which  were 
as  eagerly  contended  for,  as  the  famed  apple  of 
the  Goddess  At^  by  the  three  rival  goddesses. 
With  a  very  self-satisfied  and  triumphant  man- 
ner, but  with  a  contemptuous  and  sarcastic 
look,  lie  bestowed  them  on  the  favoured  fair, 
who,  evidently  gratified  with  this  distinguish- 
ing mark  of  attention,  tore  them  in  pieces,  and 
distributed  them  to  her  companions,  who  all 
crowded  round  their  hero,  as  if  he  were  a  little 
It  was  an  excellent  scene,  and  as  good  a 
satire  upon  flirting  as  I  ever  saw.  Flirting  in 
Egypt ! 

The  dandy  was  suddenly  summoned  to  the 
boat.    What  a  transformation!    No  more  smiles, 
no  more  graces  ;  he  once  more  became  a  coarse-  | 
looking,  ill-conditioned  sailor,  doffed  his  clothes, 
and  fell  to  towing. 

At  midnight  we  were  roused  by  a  noise  rf  I 
fighting  and  quarrelling.  The  knight  of  thel 
rag,  the  hero,  had  got  soundly  bastinadoed,  I 
because  he  had  acc'tdentaUy  laid  his  hand  upon  J 
some  fruit  in  another  vessel.  It  seemed  to  be) 
the  husbands  of  the  ladies  who  had  been  flirt- J 
ing  with  him,  who  took  this  opportunity  of  J 
avenging  themselves.  Our  servants  hied  to  J 
stop  the  clamour,  by  telling  them  there  were-J 


ST.  GEOKGE'S  DAY. 


135 


a  Cowasjee  and  a  Mhurra  {a  gentleman  and  a 
lady)  in  the  cabin,  but  they  would  not  be 
pacified,  till  the  Cowasjee  made  his  appearance 
in  propria  jiersoiia  among  them. 

On  the  morning  of  the  23d  we  came  in  sight 
of  the  Mokattam  Mountains,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Grand  Cairo.  The  Nile  was  here  covered  with 
small  islets,  and  we  passed  the  wrecks  of  some 
boats,  which  justified  the  Reis's  precaution  in 
so  frequently  coming  to  anchor.  By  his  own 
account,  he  seemed  troubled  with  every  dis- 
order  under   the  sun,   and  would  need  have 

C prescribe  for  liim.     In  vain  did  C 

assure  him  he  was  not  a  medical  man ;  a  Frank 
and  a  physician  are  synonymous  in  the  imagi- 
nation of  an  Oriental,  and  he  asserted  "  tlie 
Cowasjee  knew  every  thing." 

This  being  St.  George's  day,  we  gave  Gio- 
vanni a  glass  of  brandy  in  honour  of  the  King. 
"  La  fosta  del  Re  d'  iHghilterra"  exclaimed 
he,  with  the  utmost  glee,  promising  to  drink 
it  "  at  suo  aalttte."  On  the  principle  of  the 
earth  that  dwelt  with  the  rose  till  it  imbibed 
its  fragrance,  poor  Giovanni  should  have  been 
a  great  man,  for  he  had  lived  with  several  dis- 
tinguished characters.  He  Iiad  been  Cameriere 
to  Napoleon  when  in  Egypt,  had  personally 
attended  him,  and  constantly  slept  in  his  room; 
be    told    us,    it  was    his    custom  to    walk    up 


136      GIOVANNI,  CAAILUIEUK  TO  NAl'OLEON. 

and  down  half  the  night  thinking,  till,  over- 
come with  sleep,  Giovanni,  who  remained  in 
attendance  to  take  off  his  boots,  would  venture 
to  rouse  him  from  his  reverie.  He  described 
him,  as  "Jaslidioso,  come  una  Sig/tora,  per  la 
pvlkia"  and  spoke  of  him  as  a  very  kind  and 
considerate  master ;  and  once,  when  he  was 
wounded,  he  informed  us,  that  he  ("Napoleon) 
used  to  insist  on  his  taking  his  medicines,  and 
"gave  him  water  hi  his  own  silver  goblet." 

Giovanni  had  also  lived  with  Lewis  Buona- 
parte, with  Menou,  and  likewise  with  several 
distinguished  Knglishmen.  In  describing  one 
of  his  numerous  masters,  he  said,  "  He  always 
dressed  like  a  lady,"  and  maintained  liis  asser- 
tion, saying,  "  at  least  he  always  wore  a  faldetta." 
On  farther  inquiry,  it  turned  out  to  be  the  High- 
land costume,  which  he  imagined  to  he  a  lady's 
dress!  What  would  the  martial  Highlanders 
say  to  this  ?  However,  I  think  Mrs.  Graham 
mentions  that  the  South  American  heroine  as- 
sumed this  attire  when  fighting,  as  the  most 
feminine  she  could  adopt.  He  had  also  lived 
with  Sir  Frederick  Henniker,  and  was  with 
him  when  he  was  attacked  in  Syria ;  like- 
wise with  Dr.  Bromhead  and  Mr.  Cooke ;  he 
attended  the  latter  when  he  expired  on  his 
camel  and  was  interred  at  Elim ;  and  with  the 
giurulity  of  old  age,  he  was  very  fond  of  tak- 


Ul    litK-  I 


CAIRO,— OSMAN  EFFENDl. 


137 


ing  every  opportunity  of  reciting  his  adven- 
tures. 

At  3  p.  M.  we  came  in  sight  of  Cairo,  or 
Misr,  as  it  is  termed  by  the  Arabs ;  and  after 
passing  Soubra,  tlie  Pasha's  Garden  house,  in 
the  evening  we  anchored  off  Boulac,  having 
been  five  days  and  niglits  in  our  crazy  Cangia, 
instead  of  the  twenty-four  hours  we  had  an- 
ticipated when  we  embarked. 


LETTER  XVI. 

Cirand  Cairo.— British  Consulate. — Stjle  of  living  there. — 
Overland  Passage  tu  India. — Affray, >^Visit  to  Mahomet 
All, — Native  Mueic. — Camsecn. — Soubra. 

The  Scotchman,  William  Thompson,  so  well 
known  to  Egj-ptian  travellers  as  Osman  Ef- 
fendi,  who  was  made  a  prisoner  and  a  Mussul- 
man in  1806,  and  set  at  liberty  by  Burkhardt, 
who  found  him  at  Djidda,  now  the  third  In- 
terpreter, or  Dragoman  to  Mr.  Salt,  came  on 
board  early  in  the  morning  to  receive  us,  and 
to  escort  us  to  the  British  Consulate.     A  horse 

was  brought  for  C ,  and  a  donkey  for   my 

accommodation,  and  we  proceeded  through  the 
streets  of  Boulac,  and  along  a  wide  but  very 
dusty  road  to  Grand  Cairo,  the  first  appear- 


138 


MU.  MALT/VSS,  THE  \'IC1UC0NSUL. 


ance  of  wliich  was  any  thing  but  striking ; 
minarets  seemed  to  be  tlie  only  ornamental 
buildings,  and  I  could  but  think  how  wofully 
the  young  man  in  the  Arabian  Nights  must 
have  been  disappointed,  when  he  beheld  the 
city  of  which  he  overlieard  his  father  giving 
his  uncles  such  glowing  accounts.  We  crossed 
the  famous  Ksbequier  Birket,  sometimes  a  lake, 
now  a  large  square,  and  we  tlien  defiled  through 
the  sinuosities  of  some  such  very  narrow  streets, 
that  I  fully  expected  in  reality  to  have  met 
with  some  of  those  adventures  which  the  fair 
Amine  feigned  to  deceive  her  husband,  who, 
by  the  by,  must  have  been  of  a  most  suspicious 
temperament  to  have  doubted  the  veracity  of  j 
her  statement,  for  the  wonder,  in  an  Oriental 
city,  would  be,  how  one  escaped,  rather  than  how 
one  met  witli  accidents.  Immense  windows  and 
projecting  balconies  overhanging  the  road,  form- 
ed an  agreeable  shelter  from  the  sultry  sun. 
At  length  we  ultimately  reached  the  British 
Consulate,  situated  in  the  most  strange,  out  of 
the  way  place  imaginable,  where  from  Mr. 
Maltass,  the  Viee-Consul,  we  experienced  a 
very  hospitable  and  courteous  reception.  His 
residence  %vas  an  old  Mameluke  house,  so 
singular  and  rambling  in  its  construction, 
that  it  would  have  been  admirably  calculated 
for   the   scene   of  a  romance.       An   immense  ] 


BIUTtSU   CONSULATE. 


139 


gateway    opened 


partly 


on  a  court, 
-  cloister,  beyond 
was  the  dining-room,  the  roof  of  whicli  was 
curiously  painted,  and  at  tlie  bottom  played  a 
fountain,  accompanied  by  musical  glasses.  This 
looked  upon  a  garden  of  oleanders,  date,  and  . 
pomegranate  trees,  which  opened  upon  the 
public  promenade.  A  very  narrow  staircase 
led  to  the  upper  stories,  which  seemed  to  defy 
all  plan,  but  most  of  the  rooms  were  apparent- 
ly constructed  upon  the  principle  of  security 
and  privacy.  Many  of  them  had  curiously 
carved  window  frames,  with  painted  glass  and 
window  seats.  There  was  one  apartment  so 
secret,  that  it  would  have  been  impossible  to 
have  discovered  it,  had  it  not  been  pointed  out 
to  us,  the  access  being  through  a  sliding  pannel. 
Upon  the  flat  terraced  roof  was  a  sort  of  frame- 
work to  catch  the  wind,  and  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  Gran  Sala,  or  reception  room,  was  the 
Divan,  which  is  an  immense  window-seat,  fitted 
up  with  cushions  like  a  sofa.  This  was  in- 
variably offered  to  the  principal  visitor,  but 
though  it  was  certainly  a  most  luxurious 
lounge,  we  preferred  the  European  chair.  Here 
we  saw  even  a  greater  variety  of  nations,  if 
possible,  than  at  Alexandria; — Turks,  Greeks, 
Armenians,  Indians,  Levantines,  Africans,  Ita- 
lians, French,  and   Kriglish,  were  coming   in 


140  STYLE  OF  LIVING. 

and  out  all  day  long;  and  as  we  resided  at  the 
Consulate  for  nearly  a  fortnight,  their  dif- 
ferent manners  were  very  amusijig.  Our 
style  of  living  was  as  follows : — At  break 
of  day,  coflFee  was  brought  to  the  door  of  our 
respective  apartments,  and  at  noon  we  all  as- 
sembled to  a  dcjeune  a  la  fourchette  in  the 
dining-room.  This  is  the  usual  hour  of  dinner 
for  the  Egyptian  Franks,  but  in  compliment 
to  the  English  visitors,  that  meal  was  deferred 
till  four  p.  M. ;  the  interim  was  passed  in  read- 
ing, writing,  sleeping,  or  in  making  and  receiv- 
ing calls.  Frequently  the  English  travellers 
and  foreign  Consuls  at  Cairo  dined  with  us;  and 
after  I  retired  from  the  dining-room,  coffee  and 
tea  were  brought  to  me,  a  FAnglais,  in  the 
Gran  Sala,  by  a  domestic  in  Turkish  costume. 
In  the  cool  of  the  evening  we  rode  out,  or  took 
walks  in  the  public  garden,  which  is  the  chief 
promenade  of  the  Franks,  but  where,  however, 
we  frequently  met  Turks,  who,  en  passa7it, 
always  salaamed  us  most  courteously.  There 
was  a  grand-piano  in  the  late  Mrs.  Salt's  apart- 
ments, which  was  in  very  tolerable  tune,  and 
not  much  deteriorated  by  tlie  climate.  I  con- 
fess, I  never  expected  to  play  quadrilles  and 
Irish  melodies  at  Grand  Cairo  !  Our  country- 
men, tliat  we  met  here,  were  imprudent  enough 
to  assume  the  Turkish  costume,  a  practice  most 


ce  most    I 


MR.  CALLOWAY. 


141 


strongly  deprecated  by  Mr.  Salt,  as  being  a 
species  of  disguise  which  rendered  it  impossible 
for  him  to  be  responsible  for  their  safety.  At 
his  suggestion,  we  never  altered  our  English 
dress;  and  though  it  certainly  rendered  us  con- 
spicuous, it  ensured  us  respect  wherever  we 
went.  The  Turkish  attire,  is,  however,  so  very 
becoming  and  handsome,  that  it  requires  some 
philosophy  to  resist  so  tempting  an  opportunity 
for  wearing  it.  It  alters  the  appearance  so  com- 
pletely, that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  recognize 
any  one,  and  I  had  been  some  time  in  the  room 
with  a  gentleman  whom  I  imagined  to  be  a 
young  Turk,  ere  I  discovered  he  was  an  Eng- 
lishman, and  an  acquaintance-  We  frequently 
met  here  Mr.  Galloway,  a  civil  engineer,  a 
clever  young  man,  in  liigb  favour  with  the 
Pasha,  who  was  employing  him  in  lighting  the 
Palace  at  Soubra  with  gas,  and  in  many  other 
ingenious  works.  He  was  much  interested  in, 
and  exceedingly  sanguine  about,  the  over-land 
passage  to  India,  which  he  demonstrated  to  be 
perfectly  feasible.  The  plans  laid  down,  were,  to 
have  steam-packets  from  Alexandria  to  Cairo, 
which  were  to  communicate  witli  tho.se  at  Suez, 
by  means  of  the  ancient  canal,  which  might  be 
easily  re-opened,  or  the  seventy  intervening 
miles  be  passed  in  a  few  hours  by  camels,  re- 
lays of  which  might  be  stationed  in  the  desert ; 


142 


AFFILVY  WITH  THE  TURKS, 


and  to  prevent  all  danger  of  infection  in  case  of 
plague,  an  albergo,  or  caravansera,  was  to  be 
built  outside  the  city  walls,  which  was  to  have 
no  communication  with  the  interior. 

One  night,  after  the  gentlemen  had  left  the 
Britisli  Consulate,  they  fell  in  with  a  considera- 
ble skirmish  in  the  streets.     They  would  not 
have  been  Englishmen  had  they  not  joined  in 
the  afTray,  which  originated  in  a  Sardinian,  who 
had  been  sued  for  debt  by  order  of  the  Sardi- 
nian Consul,  attempting  to  evade  his  creditors 
by    proclaiming   himself  a   Mussulman.     The  ' 
Turks  upon  this  rescued  him,  when  the  Franks, 
indignant  at  the  apostacy,  again    endeavoured 
to  seize  the  Renegado,  and  a  dreadful  uproar 
took  place,  in  which  the  former  ultimately  pre-  ; 
vailed,  but  a  French  colonel,  who  to  his  shame 
be    it    spoken,    joined    with    their   party,    was  | 
stabbed  in  the  back,  it  was  said  dangerously, 
by  one  of  the  infuriated  mob.     On  the  follow- 
ing  day  the  Sardinian  was  taken   before  the  I 
Pasha,  and  an  honorary  dress  was  given  him,  to  I 
the  poor  Consul's  great  vexation,  who  appeared  I 
terribly  annoyed  at  this  termination  to  the  af-  I 
fair,  as  indeed  were  all  the  Franks  at  Caira  I 
Mais,  (i  qiio'i  bon  ?     "  Might  overcomes  right," 
as  the  old  proverb  observes,  all  the  world  over. 

One  evening,  C paid  a  visit  of  ceremony  I 

to  the   Pasha.     He  was  introduced  by   Mr, . 


VISIT  TO  MAHOMET  ALL 


143 


i 


Maltass,  and  was  very  graciously  received. 
Mahomet  AH  appeared  about  fifty-five  years  of 
age,  though  Mr.  Salt  told  us  he  was  very  fond 
|rf  being  thought  much  younger  ;  short  in  sta- 
ture, thick-set,  with  a  high  forehead  and  aqui- 
line nose,  he  had  a  penetrating  look,  and  an 
lexpression  winch  evinced  him  to  be  no  com- 
mon man.  His  dress  was  plain,  and  Ins  only 
ornament,  a  dagger  studded  with  diamonds, 
with  which  his  coflPee-cup  was  also  enriched. 
;He  was  surrounded  by  attendants,  who  obse- 
■quiously  watched  his  every  movement.  Im- 
mediately after  C took  his  departure,  he 

called  for  the  chess-board,  which  was  a  sign 
something  had  gone  wrong  in  his  affairs,  as  it  is 
■|lis  never-failing  resource  when  any  thing  oc- 
:curs  to  vex  him.  Report  said,  he  had  that  day 
received  intelligence  tliat  the  star  of  the  Greeks 
had  gained  a  decided  ascendency  over  liis. 
After  their  return  to  the  Consulate,  some  na- 
,tive  musicians  arrived,  whom  Mr.  Maltass  had 
indly  sent  for  to  amuse  us.  There  were  four 
;of  them,  clad  in  blue  vests  and  turbans.  They 
it  down  on  the  ground  at  the  bottom  of  the 
apartment,  and  the  lamp  cast  a  lurid  flame 
upon  their  swarthy  and  wildly  expressive  coun- 
tenances. Their  voices  were  clear  and  strong, 
and  they  sung  loudly,  most  loudly,  some  not 
unpleasing  airs,  accompanying  themselves  on  a 


144  NATIVE  MUSICIANS.— INSECTS. 

two-Stringed  instrument,  something  between  a 
mandoline  and  a  guitar,  from  which  far  more 
harmony  was  produced  tlian  could  have  been 
anticipated  ;  another  played  on  tlie  guitar,  and 
all  joined  in  chorus.  I  could  almost  have 
fancied  myself  one  of  the  heroines  in  the  Ara- 
bian Nights  Entertainment. 

During  our  stay  at  Cairo,  the  Camseen  fre- 
quently blew,  filling  the  house  with  all  the 
dust  of  all  the  Deserts  of  Africa,  and  inspiring 
every  one  with  lassitude  and  ennui.  The  wea- 
ther was  oppressively  hot,  the  thermometer, 
even  at  sun-rise,  being  often  as  high  as  82°,  and 
we  could  do  little  more  tlian  lounge  about, 
and  drink  sherbet  and  tamarind  water. 

In  addition  to  all  this,  the  Consulate  swarmed 
with  every  species  of  insect,  crawling,  creeping, 
jumping,  flying,  buzzing,  and  humming  about 
one,  to  such  a  tormenting  degree,  that  I  really 
believe  it  must  at  one  period  have  served  as 
an  Indian  Pinjrapole ;  and  had  we  been  dis- 
posed to  have  studied  entomology,  this  would 
have  been  a  glorious  opportunity.  It  was  al- 
most ludicrous  to  hear  the  various  complaintft|  i 
of  the  different  annoyances,  and  to  see  the  wo- 
ful  countenances  exhibited.  Occasionally  some 
of  the  party  had  their  eyes  nearly  closed  with 
bites  and  stings,  and  of  course  this  was  attri- 
buted   to    an    incipient   ophthalmia.      Osman 


PALiVCF.  OF  THE  PASHA. 


145 


Effendi's  advice  and  prescriptions,  however,  pre- 
vented that  dreadful  disorder,  which  the  dews, 
the  dust,  and  the  flies  of  Egypt,  are  really 
enough  to  produce,  without  coming  in  contact 
with  the  disease  in  others. 

In  the  intervals  of  the  Cainseen,  however,  the 
weather  was  far  from  unpleasant ;  and  one  after- 
noon, escorted  by  Osman  EfFendi,  we  rode  to 
Soubra,  the  Pasha's  Garden-house,  on  the  banks 
of  the  Nile,  where  are  the  water-works,  in  the 
superintendence  of  which,  poor  Belzoni,  on  his 
first  arrival  in  Egypt,  was  originally  employed. 
The  exterior  of  the  palace  presented  a  somewhat 
mean  appearance,  but  the  interior  was  hand- 
somely fitted  up,  and  we  saw  it  in  high  style, 
as  the  Pasha  and  liis  ladies  were  shortly  ex- 
pected, for  the  approaching  feast  of  Bairam, 
and  every  thing  was  ready  for  their  reception. 
The  ceiling  of  the  liall  on  the  ground-floor  was 
painted  so  as  to  resemble  a  chintz  curtain,  and 
in  one  of  the  state  apartments,   round  which 

I  sofas  were  ranged,  were  a  fountain  and  basin  in 
the  centre,  and  an  Arabic  sentence,  from  the 
1  !oran,  was  suspended,  framed  and  glazed, 
against  the  wall,  signifying  that  "  One  hour 
spent  in  the  service  of  God  is  worth  a  hun- 
dred thousand  years."  A  handsome  staircase, 
something  similar  to  that  at  Ashburnham 
Place,  opened  upon  a  room,  or  sala,  somewhat 
vol..  1.  I. 


I 


140  l'Ar.A(VE  OF  THK  PASilA. 

in  the  shape  of  a  Greek  cross ;  each  deep  re- 
cess was  fitted  up  like  a  Divan,  with  Turkey 
carpets  and  sofas,  and  at  each  corner  was  a  door 
opening  into  an  elegant  apartment.     That  ap- 
propriated to  the  use  of  the  chief  Sultana  was 
most  superbly  and  magnificently  ornamented 
witli  a  profusion  of  gold,  and  furnished  with 
handsome  carpets,  low  sofas,  ottomans,  and  pil- 
lows;   and  there,  perliaps,  never  was  a  place 
more  fitted  for  luxurious  case,  or  better  adapted 
for  the  inhabitants  of  the  Castle  of  Indolence.  I 
There  was  a  handsome,  but  old-fashioned  pier-  I 
glass  at  the  bottom  of  the  room,  where,  in  some  j 
little  niches  and  recesses,  were  several  elegant  I 
little  toys,  and  we  were  amused  to  see  an  English  I 
sixpenny  paper  fan  carefidly  installed  among  the 
curiosities  of  the  Cairo  belles.    Two  otlier  apart- 
ments were    elegantly,  but  more  simply  fitted  J 
up,  for  the  accommodation  of  the  other  ladies,  [ 
and  a   beautiful  little  bath,  and  pretty  little  \ 
dressing-room,  filled  up  tlie  fourth   angle;  so] 
that    if  the   Turk    confines    his    lady    fair,    it 
must  be  acknowledged  he  tries  to  render  her 
seclusion  as  delightful  as  possible,  by  giving 
her  every  possible  comfort  and  luxury.     The 
Pasha's  own   bed-room  was   small  and  plain. 
His  couch  seemed  to  consist  of  nothing  bpt 
several  tiers  of  pillows ;  in  an  adjoining  room 
he  holds  audiences.    The  gardens  were  prettily. 


J 


OSMAN   EFFKNUI. 


147 


but  somewhat  formally  laid  out,  and  the  pavi- 
lion there  recalled  those  of  the  Caliph  Haroun 
Alraschid  to  our  recollection.  In  the  centre 
played  a  fountain,  and  several  alligators  spouted 
water  into  a  marble  basin  ;  round  which  ran  a 
colonnade  or  verandah,  supported  by  light  fan- 
tastic pillars  of  white  marble.  At  each  corner 
were  apartments  and  baths  elegantly  fitted  up 
in  the  Turkish  style,  and  here  it  is  the  great 
delight  of  the  Pasha  and  his  ladies  to  repair, 
and,  as  Osman  described  it,  "  to  romp  and 
l>lay  together,"  amusing  themselves  with  try- 
ing to  push  each  other  into  the  water,  and  such 
pretty  little  infantine  and  innocent  sports.  The 
road  from  thence  to  Cairo,  about  three  miles 
distant,  was  bordered  with  mulberry -trees.  As 
we  returned,  we  thought  of  the  old  song 

*'  My  heart's  in  the  Highlands,  my  heart  is  not  here;" 

when  poor  Osman,  tifter  a  few  minutes  abstrac- 
tion, said  with  great  naivete,  by  way  of  apology 
for  his  silence,  "  I  was  thinking  how  green  the 
fields  are  looking  in  Perthshire."  I  could  not 
resist  saying,  "  1  hoped  he  would,  ere  long, 
return  thither;"  T  longed  to  add,  "and  to  his 
fathers'  God."  I  think  he  perceived  what  I 
meant,  but  he  seemed  by  no  means  offended 
with  my  observation.  In  our  way  home,  we 
passed  the  Copt  quarter,  where  the  old  wood- 
*  L  3 


148 


SIR  HUDSON  LOWE. 


en  houses  appeared  like  receptacles  for  vermin, 
plague,  and  disease,  and  tlirongli  the  Esbeqnier 
Berkit,  where  were  the  palace  of  the  Pasha's 
son-in-law,  and  the  house  of  th&  Sheik  of  the 
Serpent  Eaters. 


LETTER  XVII. 

Arrival  of  Sir  Hudson  Lowe Cilailel.— Joseph's   Hall  andj 

WelL— Palaces.— Slave-Market. 

Whilst  we  were  at  the  Consulate,  Major-  I 
General  Sir  Hudson  Lowe,  with  his  Aide-de-'J 
camp,  arrived.    Tliey  had  left  England  nearlyi 
at  the  same  time  with  ourselves,  and  had  tra*  I 
veiled  by  Vienna  and  Constantinople.     It  wa*! 
at  Smyrna,  in  his  way  from  thence  to  Cairo,  I 
that  the  base  and  unmanly  attack  was  made  J 
upon  the  General,    which    was   mentioned   in  ' 
the  newspapers.      A  Frenchman  made  his  way 
to  the  door  of  iiis  apartment,  avowedly  with 
the    intention    of    assassinating    him,  but    was 
prevented    from    accomplishing    his    dastardly 
purpose  by  the  master  of  the  Hotel.     Sir  Hud- 
son Lowe  knew  nothing  of  tins  till  the  fol-  J 
lowing   morning,    when    Lord  St.  Asaph   and  | 
several  Englishmen  called  upon  him  to  make  ' 
enquiries  concerning  his  health,    and  he   then 


heard  of  the  attempt  upon  his  life  on  the  pre- 


I 


L[ONS  Of  CAHIO,  149 

ceding  niglit,  and,  by  their  advice,  he  never 
again,  whilst  there,  slept  on  shore.  As  it  was 
rumoured  that  tlie  French  had  made  a  vow 
he  should  not  pass  through  Egypt  in  safety, 
the  Consul  and  Vice-Consul  were  under  very 
considerable  apprehensions  for  him ;  he,  how- 
ever, never  exhibited  the  slightest  appearance 
of  alarm,  but  rode  and  walked  about  Cairo 
with  all  the  coolness  and  intrepidity  of  an  Eng- 
lish officer,  and  seemed  to  have  no  more  idea  of 
danger  than  any  of  the  rest  of  the  party. 

One  afternoon  we  made  the  grand  tour  of 
the  Lions  of  Cairo,  which  the  Camseen  had 
hitherto  prevented  our  visiting.  Our  proces- 
sion was  most  curious.  First  of  all  rode  two 
Janissaries  heavily  armed  ;  then  followed  in  file, 
it  being  scarcely  possible  for  two  to  ride  abreast, 

the  General  and  his  Aide-de-camp,  C ,  Mr. 

Maltass,  Osman  Effendi,  and  myself — all  upon 
donkeys,  which  went  scuffling  through  the 
streets  at  a  prodigious  rate.  Each  of  tlie  party 
Wiia  attended  by  a  dirty,  half-naked,  ^Vrab  dri- 
ver, besides  other  attendants.  The  Turks  laid 
down  their  pipes  as  we  passed,  and  I  distinctly 
heard  the  cry  of"  Frankistan"  as  we  trotted  by. 

We  rode  through  streets  so  narrow,  tiiat  a 
person  in  the  centre  might  easily  have  touched 
the  opposite  houses  at  the  same  moment,  and 
long  files  of  loaded  camels  tied  togc- 


150 


MAMELUKE  CONTEMtT. 


ther,  guided  by  one  man.  We  saw  Turks  on 
donkeys,  and  Mamelukes  on  horseback,  "  pride 
in  tlieir  port,  defiance  in  their  eye,"  riding  down 
every  one  before  tlieni,  purposely  and  oifen- 
sively  sticking  out  their  tremendous  shovel- 
shaped  stirrups ;  one  Chieftain,  in  particular, 
seemed  to  wish  to  evince  in  what  utter  contempt 
he  held  the  Franks ;  but  when  he  saw  z.  female 
among  the  party,  it  is  impossible  to  describe  the 
change  that  instantaneously  took  place  in  hU 
whole  demeanour ;  the  proud  and  contemptuous 
air  with  which  he  surveyed  the  gentlemen,  was 
to  me  altered  to  one  of  the  most  perfect  courtesy 
and  civility  ;  and  the  most  polished  French- 
man could  not  have  reined  in  his  steed  with 
more  grace,  or  have  expressed  more  gentle- 
manly regret  at  my  being  annoyed  and  alarm- 
ed, by  my  donkey  accidentally  running  against 
his  horse.  Though  it  was  evident  he  held  the 
Christians  in  abhorrence,  he  saw  that  I  was  a 
tvoman,  and  he  treated  me  with  deference  and 
respect.  Indeed,  1  must  say  for  the  Turks,  in 
general,  whatever  their  other  faults  may  be,  that 
their  manners  towai-ds  our  sex  as  far  exceed 
those  of  our  countrymen  in  courtesy,  as  their 
gracefid  costume  surpasses  that  of  the  Franks 
in  magnificence  and  grandeur.  Then  we  saw 
women  mounted  on  camels,  riding  on  im- 
mense saddles,  towering  aloft  in  tlie  air,  and 
shrouded  in  their  black  cloaks,  looking  really 


I 


"yfl 


VIEW  FKOM  THE  CITADEL. 


iDl 


I 


very  tremendous  and  awful.  In  a  narrow, 
a  very  narrow  street,  a  vicious  camel,  at  the 
head  of  a  long  file,  had  chosen  to  lie  dowTi, 
and  completely  filled  up  the  narrow  way,  roar- 
ing and  hellowing  most  tremendously.  In  vain 
did  the  driver  beat  it,  and  the  Janissaries  goad 
■  it  with  their  silver  sticks ;  it  only  redoubted 
its  cries,  and  stretched  out  his  long  neck,  and 
opened  its  ugly  mouth,  and  seemed  to  threaten 
death  and  destruction  all  around.  The  gentle- 
men being  mostly  military  men  were  brave  by 
profession,  and  were  consequently  not  to  be 
daunted  by  an  angry  camel ;  but  alas  for 
me,  who  was  a  woman  and  a.  coward  \  1  do 
not  think  I  ever  felt  more  tlioroughly  fright- 
ened in  my  life  than  whilst  in  the  vicinity 
of  this  frightful  creature,  which,  however,  I 
eventually  passed  in  safety.  We  saw  the  ex- 
terior of  the  principal  mosque,  into  which  it  is 
death  for  a  Christian  to  enter  ;  and  ascending 
the  citadel,  Ostnan  pointed  out  the  spot  where 
the  Mamelukes  were  massacred  in  cold  blood 
by  the  orders  of  Mahomet  Ali.  From  the  top 
is  an  extensive  view  over  the  city,  and  from 
thence  Cairo  really  appeared  to  deserve  the 
epithet  of  Grand  ;  for  the  Nile,  the  tombs  of 
the  Caliphs,  and  the  Pyramids,  are  all  seen  at 
once.  We  saw  Joseph's  Hall,  and  from  thence 
proceeded  to  Joseph's  Well ;— not,  however,  lie 
who  flourished  more  than   seventeen  hundred 


152  JOSEPH'S  WKLL. 

years  before,  but  lie  who  lived  twelve  centuries 
after  Christ. 

It  is,  however,  a  pity  that  we  may  not  beHeve 
these  structures  to  have  been  the  work  of  the 
Patriarch,  rather  than  of  the  Prime  Minister  of 
Saladin.  Joseph's  Well  is  very  curious,  and 
the  citadel  is  entirely  supplied  with  water  ■ 
from  thence.  We  descended  by  a  dark  and 
very  steep  gallery,  till  we  came  to  the  first 
landing-place,  and  then  hearing  there  was  no- 
thing but  an  ox  turning  the  wheel  to  be  seen, 
if  we  went  to  the  bottom,  we  agreed  it  would 
be  as  well  to  be  satisfied  with  the  on-cUt,  with- 
out going  in  person  to  ascertain  whether  this 
were  a  fact,  or  whether  the  old  saying  be  cor- 
rect, that  "  Truth  lies  in  a  well." 

On  emerging  from  our  cool  and  gloomy  re- 
treat, we  were  beset  in  so  furious  a  manner  ■ 
by  a  crowd  of  mendicants,  that  Osman  was  po- 
sitively obliged  to  draw  his  sword  upon  them 
before  he  could  rescue  me  from  them,  us  they 
seemed  determined  to  lay  violent  hands  upon 
me.     We  then  proceeded  to  the  two  palaces, 
which  the  Pasha,   like    a    kind    husband,  was  ' 
erecting  for  his  wives.     They  were  built  on 
nearly  the  same  plan  with  that  of  Soubra,  and 
by-the-by,  I  wonder  that  among  the  freaks  and 
fancies  of   the   present  day,   no    architect  has  ■ 
adopted  it  for  an  English  house,  as  it  would  be  ' 


NEW  P,\LACr.  OF  Till',  I'ASllA, 


153 


admirably  adapted  for  parties :  the  grand  sala 
to  be  devoted  to  dancing,  tlie  deep  recesses  to 
conversation,  and  the  corner  rooms  to  music, 
reading,  cards,  and  refreslmients.  In  one  of 
these  lialJs  was  a  fountain,  and  an  aqueduct  of 
marble,  down  which  little  marble  fish  seemed 
to  glide.  They  were  fitted  up  with  even  more 
Bplendour  than  those  at  Soubra,  and  one  of  the 
baths  was  quite  a  htjou,  so  exquisitely  elegant 
was  it  in  its  construction.  It  was  supported 
by  light  and  airy  columns  of  marble;  and  the 
beautiful  and  simple  ornament  of  the  crescent, 
the  badge  of  the  Ottoman  power,  accompanied 
by  a  single  star,  was  everywhere  to  be  seen. 
The  gentlemen  nil  took  off  their  shoes  before 
entering  these  saitctum  sanctorums  of  the  Ori- 
ental beauties,  which  is  the  eastern  mark  of 
respect;  whilst  I  ran  here  and  there  and  every 
where,  claiming  the  privilege  of  my  sex,  which 
here  was  of  use,  though  the  workmen  stared 
to  see  a  woman  at  such  liberty.  I,  however, 
am  inclined  to  think  that  all  that  we  are  told 
of  the  imprisonment  of  the  Seraglio  is  a  great 
mistake.  I  suspect  the  Turkish  ladies  are  under 
no  greater  restraint  than  princesses  and  ladies 
of  rank  in  our  country,  and  the  homage  that  is 
paid  them  seems  infinitely  greater.  The  se- 
clusion of  the  Haram  appears  to  be  no  more 
than  the  natural  wish  of  an  adoring  husband. 


154 


SACIlEDNESSi  or  THE   IIAKA.M. 


to  guard  his  beloved  from  even  the  knowledge 
of  the  ills  and  woes  that  mortal  man  betide. 
Whilst  he  himself  dares  danger  in  every  form, 
he  wishes    to  protect  "  his  Ludy-bird" — "  the 
light  of  his  Haram,"  from  all  trouble  and  anx-  J 
iety.     He  would  fain  make  her  life  "  a  fsiry  J 
tale ;" — he  would  not  even  let  "  the  winds  of  1 
Heaven  visit  her  face  too  roughly ;"   and  as  1 
we  carefully  enshrine  a  valuable  gem,  or  pro- 
tect  a   sacred    relic  from  the  profane  gaze  of  j 
the  multitude,  so  does  he,  on  the  same  princi- 
ple, hide  from  vulgar  ken,  his  best,  his  choicest  I 
treasure,  "  his  ain  kind  dearie."     The  Turks, 
in    their   gallantry,    consider  the  person    of  a 
woman  sacred,  and  the  place  of  her  retreat,  lier 
Haram,  is  always  respected.     Nay,  there  have 
been  even  instances  where  persons  have  fled  for 
protection  to  their  enemy's  Seraglio,  and  been  i 
thereby  saved ;  so  that  I  found  that  in  Egypt 
I  was  likely  to  be  the  guardian  of  the  party, 
and  that  in  my  utter  helplessness  I  might  pos-  . 
sibly  be   a   panoply  from    danger  to  my  pro- 
tectors themselves.     In  fact,  Mr.  Salt  seriously 
recommended  that    I   should  always  carry  all 
ovir  most  valuable  papers  and  money  about  me  , 
for  safety. 

AVe  returned  through  the  principal  bazaare, 
where  the  shops  were  all  open,  and  the  master  sat 
on  an  elevated  stone  platform  in  the  midst  of  his 


I 

lidst  of  his   ^^1 


SLAVE-MAHK.ET. 


165 


goods;  biit  there  was  no  show  or  magnificence, 
none  of  the  jewels  and  cloth  of  gold,  and  splen- 
dour that  we  jnctiire  to  ourselves  in  an  Oriental 
bazaar.  In  the  Slave-market,  a  sort  of  piazza,  or 
square,  were  several  negroes  seated  on  a  mat, 
who  seemed  very  much  gratified  with  some  mo- 
ney C threw  to  thera.     Some  Nubian  girls 

then  came  out,  tlieir  hair  greased  and  frizzed 
in  the  latest  and  most  approved  Nubian  fashion, 
but  whilst  I  was  considering  whether  it  were 
right  and  delicate  to  annoy  their  feelings  by 
gazing  at  them,  the  tables  were  turned  com- 
pletely upon  me,  for  they  fell  to  laughing,  and 
grinning,  and  quizzing,  and  pointing  at  me; 
my  English  riding-habit  seeming  far  moreow^e* 
to  them,  than  their  curiously-plaited  hair  did 
to  us.  I  thought  of  the  French  ladies,  and 
of  the  Duchess  of  Angoul^me's  little  bonnet. 


LETTER  XVIII. 


Pic-pic   at  llie  Pjratnida — Ride  thither. — Sphynx. — Ascent 
and  Interior  of  the  Pyramid  of  Cheops. — Hippopotamus, 

The  2nd  of  May  was  the  day  appointed 
for  our  pic-nic  to  the  Pyramids.  We  started 
long  before  day-break,  and  traversed  the  streets 
of  Cairo  by  the  lurid  Uglit  of  flambeaux.     Soon 


156  VISIT  TO  THE  PYRAMIDS. 

after  we  passed  tlie  gates  of  the  city,  the  stars 
"  'gan  to  pale  their  ineffectual  light,"  and 
"  young-eyed  day,"  appeared  in  the  East, 
whilst  a  flood  of  liquid  amber  proclaimed  the 
approach  of  the  sun,  and  every  minaret,  cupola, 
and  airy  grove  of  date-trees  was  tinged  with  a 
roseate  hue,  or  burnished  with  living  gold.  The 
air  was  fresh  even  to  coolness,  as  we  were  fer- 
ried over  the  Nile,  and  right  glad  were  we  to 
hail  the  glorious  luminary  as  he  appeared  above 
the  horizon.  We  passed  the  Island  of  Rhoda, 
on  which,  tradition  states,  the  infant  Moses  was 
exposed,  and  where  the  chosen  servant  of  God 
was  saved  from  impending  destruction  by  the 
compassion  of  Tliermusis,  the  daughter  of  Pha- 
raoh. Here  also  is  the  famous  Nilometer,  and 
during  the  overflow  of  the  Nile,  the  citizens  of 
Cairo  are  wont  to  repair  hither,  and,  smokiiig 
their  long  pipes,  enjoy  beneath  the  broad 
spreading  sycamore,  that  quietude  and  luxu- 
rious indolence  to  which  the  climate  so  much 
disposes  them,  The  village  of  Ghiza,  on 
the  opposite  shore  of  the  Nile,  is  considered 
by  some  to  be  situated  on  the  site  of  the  an- 
cient Memphis.  After  passing  this  place, 
we  crossed  a  very  fertile  plain,  covered  with 
corn,  where  we  could  have  imagined  the  Pyra- 
mids were  close  to  us;  but  their  immensity 
deceived  us,  for  they  were  still  several  miles 


I 


al  miles  j 


VISIT  TO  THE  I'yUAMlUS.  I57 

distant.  We  then  came  to  a  barren  tract, 
where  were  goats  browsing,  buffaloes  rumi- 
nating, camels  grazing,  and  several  Bedouin 
encampments.  The  men  were  "  sitting  In  the 
tent  door  in  the  heat  of  the  day  ;"  the  wo- 
men were  within,  working  at  the  mill,  and 
making  bread.  Tlie  Sheiks  came  forward  and 
saluted  us  most  respectfully,  and  when  they 
saw  me,  they  called  out  "  Haram." 

As  we  wound  along  the  plain,  you  cannot 
conceive  how  picturesque  our  party  appeared. 
Tlie  heavily-armed  Janissaries — Osman  in  his 
Mameluke  dress — some  of  our  English  friends 
in  their  splendid  Turkish  costumes,  ricb  in 
scarlet  and  crimson,  green,  blue,  and  gold — 
our  Turkish,  Arab,  and  Indian  attendants, 
whose  dark  complexions,  wild  countenances, 
and  fantastic  dresses,  harmonized  well  with 
the  scene,  and  I  could  have  fancied  we  were 
a  caravan  bound  to  Mecca,  or  a  party  flying 
to  the  Desert  for  safety.  I,  in  my  English  at- 
tire, was  the  only  humdrum  among  tlie  whole, 
and  perhaps  the  only  one  who  could  have 
walked  in  London  without  being  mobbed. 

By  the  time 

"  The  sullry  sun  had  gaiii'd  the  middle  sky," 

we  came  into  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Sphynx;  the  Sphynx,  of  which  every  one  has 


158  VISIT  TO  THE  PYILVMIDS. 

heard  so  much,  and  here  the  soil  presented 
such  immense  fissures,  and  such  heavy  beds 
of  sand,  that  whilst  wrapped  no  doubt  in  some 
very  sublime  speculation,  down  fell  my  don- 
key, and  over  its  head  went  I,— I  was  picked 
up  by  a  Bedouin  Arab,  who  was  offering  me 
some  cucumbers  and  melons  at  the  moment — 
but,  though  more  frightened  than  hurt,  this 
contretemps  was  enough  to  quell  my  courage 
for  the  day.  However,  that  you  may  not  at- 
tribute my  fall  to  my  bad  riding,  I  beg  to 
observe  that  several  others  of  the  party  made  a 
similar  obeisance  with  myself  to  the  Sphynx, 
by  involuntarily  prostrating  themselves  in  the 
dust  before  her.  The  Sphynx  presented  an 
African  coimtenance,  and  her  liair  was  dressed 
much  in  the  same  style  with  my  Nubian 
friends  in  the  Slave-market.  Tlie  sand,  which 
at  times  has  been  cleared  away,  has  again  col- 
lected, and  it  was  at  this  time  nearly  embedded 
in  it. 

We  at  length  reached  the  Pyramids,  which 
were  founded  by  Cheops,  Cephrenes,  and  My. 
cerinus,  between  815  and  1032  years  before 
Christ,  and  which  stand  in  the  Desert,  as 
if  intended  for  the  time-pieces  of  creation, 
by  wiiich  the  flight  of  centuries  may  be 
counted,  as  by  the  gnomons  of  our  dials  we 
reckon  that  of  hours.     There  is  nothing  in  their 


PYHAMID  UV  LliKOl'S, 


159 


immediate  vicinity  with  which  to  compare 
them,  and  their  very  immensity  deceives  the 
spectator,  Tliey  ratlier  look  like  excavated 
mountains,  than  edifices  reared  hy  man,  and  it 
is  only  by  our  own  insignificance  that  we  can 
comprehend  their  enormous  magnitude.  We 
all  immediately  commenced  the  labour  of  as- 
cending; but  I  can  truly  say  those  ladies  who 
have  accomplished  the  arduous  task  without 
feeling  alarm,  and  without  encountering  diffi- 
culty, must  have  had  very  differently  consti- 
tuted nerves  to  mine,  and  their  faculties,  both 
physical  and  mental,  must  have  been  far 
stronger,  ^e  scrambled  up  the  door-way,  and 
continued  along  a  ledge  on  the  North  side,  till 
we  came  to  the  North-East  angle,  and  liere  the 
tug  of  war  began.  I  was  fairly  pulled  up  by 
the  friendly  aid  of  the  party,  most  of  the 
rugged  stones  by  which  we  clambered  being 
two  or  three  feet  high.  My  heavy  cloth  habit 
was  but  ill  suited  for  the  attempt,  and  I  soon 
found  neither  my  courage  nor  my  strength 
were  adequate  to  the  undertaking.  I  how- 
ever did  not  relinquish  it  till  I  had  been  re- 
peatedly entreated  to  desist,  and  I  was  at 
length  glad  to  veil  my  cowardice  under  the  pre- 
tence of  conjugal  obedience,  as  C was  really 

seriously  alarmed  for  my  safety.  I  therefore 
accepted  Osman's  proffered  services,   and  re- 


160 


I'YIUMID  OF  CHEOl'S. 


mained  with  him,  iele-a-ti-te,  for  about  half  an 
hour,  suspended,  like  Mahomet's  coifin,  be- 
tween heaven  and  earth,  upon  the  north-east 
angle  of  the  Pyramid  of  Cheops.  It  was  a 
curious  situation,  looking  over  the  valley  of 
the  Nile  on  the  one  side,  and  the  immense 
deserts  of  Africa  on  the  other,  surrounded 
by  pyramids  and  tombs,  in  company  with  a 
Scotch  Turk  I  Osman  made  an  excellent  cicfr* 
rone,  and  soon  convinced  me  that  we  were  in 
the  old  burial-place  of  ancient  Memphis,  and 
I  saw,  or  Jkneied  I  saw,  (whicli  was  almost  as 
good.)  evident  marks  of  the  old  bed  of  the 
Nile,  whicli  ages  ago  is  said  to  have  flowed 
dose  to  these  edifices,  but  wliose  course  was 
altered  by  Menes,  the  first  acknowledged 
mortal  King  of  Egypt,  and  the  founder  of 
that  city,  which  was  destroyed  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, 571  years  before  Christ.  Shortly  after- 
wards down  came  Sheik  Chaund,  supported  by 
two  Arabs,  saying  "  his  head  turned  round  before 
he  could  reach  the  top;"  and  1  tlien  congratu- 
lated myself  on  my  prudence  in  not  having  at- 
tempted to  proceed  farther,  the  more  so,  as  the 
gentlemen,  on  their  return,  all  told  me  I  had  lost 
nothing  but  the  honour  of  carving  my  initials 
on  the  top  viysclf,  which,  however,  was 
for  me  by  deputy.  The  descent  was 
frightful ;  I  was  compelled  to  jump  from 


I 


4 


'as  done  ^^^ 
IS  truly  ^^H 
)m  stone^^H 


tNTEftlUU  UF  THE  I'VIU.MID  UF  (JUKUI 


lOl 


I 


to  stone,  and  one  false  step  would  have  pre- 
cipitated me  to  the  bottom,  and  dashed  me  to 
pieces ;  but  however,  after  all  our  exertions, 
perils,  and  dangers  were  over,  I  do  not  think 
we  ever  had  a  more  amusing  repast,  than  that 
we  partook  of,  spread  on  the  ground,  some- 
thing in  the  Arab  style,  in  a  sort  of  recess,  ofcr 
the  door  of  the  great  Pyramid  of  Cheops,  and 
under  the  shelter  of  some  huge  projecting 
stones.  At  its  conclusion,  a  saddle  being 
brought  for  my  pillow,  I  partook  of  the  gene- 
ral siesta,  sleeping  undisturbed  by  the  ghost  of 
Cheops,  till  it  was  time  to  visit  the  interior 
of  the  Pyramid ;  and  this,  having  the  fair 
Pekuah"s  fate  fresh  in  my  mind,  I  was  deter- 
mined nothing  should  ])rcvcnt  my  exploring. 
Osman  pioneered,  holding  my  hand,  and  con- 
ducting me  up  and  down,  through  passages, 
dark,  steep,  narrow,  and  more  gloomy  than 
imagination  can  fancy,  till  we  reached  the 
King's  chamber,  a  large  and  lofty  room,  with 
a  fiat  roof,  formed  of  immense  blocks  of  gra- 
nite, and  with  a  sarcophagus  hewn  out  of  one 
tremendous  piece,  placed  considerably  out  of 
the  centre,  which  resisted  our  every  endeavour 
to  break  off  a  piece  by  way  of  trophy. 

The  flickering  liglit  of  the  flambeaux  glared 
itrangely  and  terribly  upon  the  dark  walls, 
throwing  each  individual  into  bold  relief ;  and. 


162     INTERIOR  OF  TIIE  PYRAMID  OF  CHEOPS. 

as  our  voices  resounded  in  the  sepulchral  chai 
ber,  methought  they  had  a  hollow  and  uneartl 
ly  sound.  The  approach  to  this  room  was  very' 
unpleasant ;  the  gentlemen  strode  from  side  tqj 
side  over  a  dark  abyss,  small  holes  being  cuti 
for  their  feet ;  but  1  ascended  by  a  steep,  v 
narrow,  slippery,  and  highly-polished  ledge, 
abutment,  of  granite.  The  return  was  even 
worse  than  descending  the  Pyramid,  and  I 
could  but  think  of  the  terrific  bridge  of  a  hair's 
breadth  over  which  faithful  Mussulmans  past 
to  Paradise.  I  once  nearly  lost  ray  footings 
when  I  was  fortunately  caught  by  the  nervoui 
grasp  of  one  of  the  Arab  attendants;  but  my 
sensations  were  more  dreadful  at  the  instant 
than  I  can  describe,  and  on  emerging  from  the 
dark  passages,  after  visiting  the  Queen's  cham- 
ber, which  is  smaller  than  the  King's,  and  has 
a  vaulted  roof  and  a  recess,  glad  indeed  was  I 
again  to  greet  the  cheerful  light  of  day,  and 
to  breathe  once  more  a  purer  atmosphere. 
Some  of  the  party  descended  into  the  Well, 
and  found  dust  and  dirt,  bats  and  darkness,  for 
their  trouble ;  and  they  also  paid  a  visit  to  th»: 
Pyramid  of  Cephrenes.  In  the  cool  of  the 
evening  we  returned  home,  stopping  to  see  a 
young  hippopotamus  in  a  tank,  where  it 
plunged  and  floundered  about,  and  opened  il 
wide  and  ugly  mouth,  and  displayed  its  fisl 


I 


HIPPOPOTAMUS.  J63 

like  neck  with  great  self-complacency.  It  how- 
ever seemed  good-natured,  allowed  C to 

pat  it  like  a  dog,  and  appeared  to  be  of  a  far 
better  disposition  than  the  unfeeling  brute  its 
keeper,  who  displayed  much  unnecessary  fero- 
city and  wanton  cruelty  towards  the  unoffend- 
ing Fellahs  that  crowded  round  us.  The  sur- 
prise they  testified  at  the  indignation  I  openly 
expressed  at  this  tyrannical  treatment,  shows, 
1  fear,  that  such  barbarity  is  not  unusual  at 
Cairo.  It  was  late  at  night  ere  we  reached 
the  Considate,  all  agreeing,  however,  that  we 
had  had  a  very  pleasant  day,  and  that  our  pic 
tiic  at  the  Pyramids  had  gone  off  much  better 
than  such  parties  generally  do.  Having  ridden 
between  twenty  and  thirty  miles  in  the  course 
of  a  tremendously  hot  day,  you  may  conceive 
how  glad  I  was  to  lie  down  after  all  this  exer- 
tion, and  to  dream  of  Cheops,  Cephrenes,  and 
Jlycerinus,  on  my  couch,  a£tcr  having  paid  a 
visit  to  their  cemeteries. 


LETTER  XIX. 


Cangia. — Benisour. — Gebel  Sheik  Hassan.— Miaiet.— Caves 
of  Beni  Hassan. 

On  the  evening  of  the  6th  of  May,  preceded 
F  by  the  two  Janissaries,  and  accompanied  by 
m2 


164 


OUR  CANGIA. 


Osman  EfFendi,  we  rode  down  to  Boiilac,  and 
again  embarked  upon  the  Nile.     Our  Cangia 
had  been  well  cleaned  and  purified  by  our  own 
servants,  and  we  found  every  thing  so  arranged  I 
as  to  present  a  tolerably  comfortable  appear- 
ance.     The  principal  cabin  was  about  six  or  j 
seven  feet  square,   and   four  high,  with  three  J 
windows  on  each  side ;  and  these,  and  the  two  1 
doors,  were  so  disposed  as  to  allow  a  free  and  a  | 
thorough  circulation  of  air.     In  this  were  our  | 
couclies,  a  table,  and  two  chairs ;  behind,  wa 
a  smaller  cabin,  about  four  feet  square,  and  in  , 
front,  was  an  awning,  beneath  ivliicli  were  sofas 
placed,  where,  in  the  cool  of  the  day,  we  not  I 
unfrequently  took  our  meals.     Our  luggage  was 
stowed  below,  and  my  Takhtrouan,  or  native 
litter,  being  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  boat, 
formed  an  excellent  partition  between  us  and  . 
the  crew,  which   consisted  of  a  Reis  and  ten  ] 
men.     The  Cangia  was  forty  feet  long,  and 
ten  broad,  with  one  tremendously  large  latteen 
sail,  and  another  of  smaller  dimensions.     We 
lay  that  night  moored  under  the  lee  of  a  sand-  | 
bank,  close  to  the  strangely-painted  Custom-  J 
house,  where  we  were  grievously  tormented  by  I 
flies  and  musquitoes. 

As  there  was  a  report  that  the  Nile  was  in-  I 
fested  by  river-pirates,  it  had  been  arranged,  for 
the  safety  of  the  ivhole  party,  that  we  should  all  i 


PROCEED  ON  OUR  VOYAGE.  165 

sail  togetlier ;  but  as  Sir  Hudson  Lowe  was 
detained,  by  the  horses,  which  he  had  purchased 
at  Cairo,  not  being  embarked  at  the  time  ap- 
pointed,  we  separated,  and,  by  his  accidentally 
passing  us  in  the  night,  we  did  not  again  meet 
till  we  reached  Djidda. 

On  the  following  morning,  May  7th,  we 
set  sail  at  8  a.  ji.,  and  passed  several  islands, 
with  buildings  and  gardens  upon  them  ;  Ibrim 
Pasha's  Palace,  a  large  ruined  building,  roman- 
tically covered  with  ivy,  and  the  Military  Col- 
lege. We  saw  in  this  neighbourhood  immense 
rafts  of  pottery,  formed  by  huge  earthen  pots 
lashed  together,  with  men  guiding  them,  float- 
ing down  the  river.  It  was  intensely  hot,  the 
thermometer  being  at  97°  in  the  cabin,  although 
the  wind  was  so  fresh  that  we  scudded  for 
some  time  under  bare  poles,  and  at  last  such  a 
hurricane  blew  up,  that  we  were  compelled  to 
anchor  for  the  night  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  Pyramids  of  Dashour,  We  were  roused 
the  next  day  (May  8th)  by  a  discharge  of  mus- 
ketry, which  proclaimed  the  termination  of 
the  fast  of  the  Ramazan.     We  saw  here  nume- 

1  Tous  Pyramids  of  different  shapes  and  sizes, 
some  very  irregular  and  of  a  singular  construc- 
tion, totally  difltring  in  appearance  from  those 
of  Ghiza.     One  of  these  is  called  the  False 

L  Pyramid.     The  wind  continued  favourable  the 


166  BEXisorr. 

whole  of  this  day,  but  the  rirer  was  so  agi- 
tated, that  it  was  as  roughly  unpleasant  as  the 
sea.  At  sun-set  we  reached  Benisouf,  a  tole- 
rably large  place,  where  there  was  a  good  deal 
of  shipping,  and  an  armed  yacht.  It  was  a 
lovely  evening,  and  we  enjoyed  a  delightful 
walk  on  the  shore,  along  a  canal,  as  far  as  the 
tomb  of  a  Mahometan  peer,  or  saint.  In  the 
West  was  visible  the  delicate  crescent  of  the 
new  moon,  which  was  a  most  joyful  sight  to 
the  Mahometan  devotees,  as  its  appearance  had 
put  an  end  to  the  ftist  of  Kaniazan.  "  A 
single  star  was  by  her  side." — "Twas  Vesper 
hung  his  silver  lamp  on  high,  and  as  he  slione 
in  all  his  beauty,  and  cast  a  flood  of  radiance 
upon  the  waters,  we  could  no  longer  wonder  at 
the  inclination  of  the  Orientals  to  worship  the 
starry  Host  of  Heaven.  The  Egyptians  feigned 
that  the  soul  of  Isis  delighted  to  reside  in  this 
planet ;  and  so  lovely  is  its  appearance,  that  it 
really  appears  like  a  beneficent  deity,  in  tliese 
Eastern  climes,  when  "  the  springs  and  dying 
gales,"  the  cool  atmosphere  and  calm  serenity : 
of  evening,  succeed  to  the  heat  and  turmoil  of 
the  day.  On  the  9th  the  river  presented  a  very 
different  appearance  from  the  turbulent  aspect 
it  had  assumed  on  the  preceding  day.  We 
were  regularly  becalmed,  and'the  surface  of  the 
water  assimied  a  glassy  smoothness,  in  whicl{ 


I 


I 


SIIERONE.  |g7 

every  minaret  and  tree  was  faithfully  reflected. 
We  were  towed  along  by  the  sailors,  who  chanted 
wild  and  by  no  means  unpleasing  airs ;  and  after 
their  labours  were  over,  they  enjoyed  their 
hardly-earned  repose,  stretched  on  the  ground 
beneath  the  shade  of  some  friendly  rock. 

A  Persian  gentleman,  whose  Cangia  kept 
company  with  ours,  very  frequently  came 
on  board  for  society,  being  apparently  very 
much   ennnye  with   his   own.     Unfortunately, 

C and  he  could  only  converse  through  the 

medium  of  an  interpreter,  though  he  seemed 
anxious  to  become  better  acquainted.  At  Gebel 
Sheik  Hassan,  is  the  residence  of  a  famous 
Mahometan  Saint,  and  as  the  usual  hurricane 
blew  up  about  sun-set,  we  anchored  for  the 
night  at  Fieslem.  At  Sherone,  which  we  reach- 
ed the  following  day  at  noon,  tlie  hills,  which 
had  hitherto  approached  very  near  the  Nile, 
receded  to  a  considerable  distance,  and  an  ex- 
tensive plain  presented  itself,  covered  %vith  date- 
trees.  "SXa  then  came  \ipoii  some  steep  cliffs 
and  bold  headlands,  where  there  was  a  remark- 
able echo ;  but  as  C was  trying  its  powers, 

the  llcis  very  earnestly  entreated  him  to  desist 
from  "  making  the  mountain  speak,"  as  it  was 
that,  in  his  opinion,  wliich  caused  the  wind  to 
rise,  the  customary  evening  gale  happening  at 
the  moment  to  spring  up.     The  scenery  here 


was  very  fine ;  tJie  precipices  rose  abruptly  ' 
from  the  glassy  waves,  which  faithfully  re- 
fleeted  tlieir  image  on  the  deep  stream,  whilst 
the  sighing  of  the  wind,  the  flapping  of  the 
immense  sail,  and  tlie  ripple  of  the  water,  were 
the  only  sounds  that  broke  the  cahn  serenity  of 
the  evening. 

Sandy  hills  and  low  uninteresting  banks 
then  presented  themselves,  till  at  noon  on  the 
following  day,  (May  Hth,)  we  reached  Miniet, 
the  largest  and  neatest  town  we  had  yet  seen, 
where  there  was  the  appearance  of  some  com-  ' 
■  merce,  indicated  by  extensive  lime-kibis,  some 
large  buildings,  and  a  cloth  manufactory,  which 
was  under  the  superintendence  of  a  Maltese. 
Our  crew  here  chose  to  go  on  shore,  ostensibly 
for  provisions,  but  they  detained  us  for  more 
than  three  hours,  with  a  thermometer  above  nine- 
ty degrees,  and  our  boat  moored  close  to  a  liot 
sand-bank,  whilst  they  were  under  the  barber's 
hands,  and  amusing  themselves  with  smoking 
with  their  friends.  Fortunately  for  us,  tiiere 
was  a  very  pretty  reach  of  the  Nile  here,  with 
which  and  "  pazienxa"  we  were  forced  to  be  t 
content,  it  being  too  sultry  to  venture  upon  a 
promenade.  It  was  with  considerable  difficulty 
we  got  them  on  board  at  last.  At  sunset  we 
reached  Beni  Hassan,  where  are  the  ruins  of 
four  villages,  which  the  Pasha  will  not  allow 


CAVES  AT  BENI  HASSAN.  IG'J 

to  be  inhabited,  on  account  of  their  being  no- 
torious for  the  resort  of  robbers.  Tlie  famous 
caves  here  are  cut  out  of  a  mountain,  which  is 
most  curiously  perforated  and  honey-combed ; 
and  up  the  steep  side  of  which  we  scrambled, 
over  ruins  and  mounds  of  sand,  which  gave 
way  under  our  feet,  till  we  reached  a  range  of 
ancient  Egyptian  temples,  which  are  literally 
excavated  out  of  the  solid  rock.  Of  these  we 
counted  twenty-six,  some  of  which  are  of  very 
considerable  dimensions,  and  some  are  filled 
with  sand,  and  communicate  with  each  other 
in  a  strangely  romantic  and  mysterious  man- 
ner. The  chief  room  of  tiie  principal  temple 
is  supported  by  pillars ;  behind  tliis  is  a  smaller 
one,  with  a  recess  and  a  deep  well.  The  walls 
are  generally  covered  with  paintings  and  hiero- 
glyphics, the  colours  of  which  were  very  vivid, 
when  the  dust  with  which  they  were  encrusted 
was  rubbed  off,  and  the  designs  were  still  quite 
perceptible.  The  prospect,  as  viewed  from  the 
interior  of  the  temple,  through  the  massy  and 
ponderous  pillars  of  the  portico  in  front,  was 
singular  and  magnificent.  The  setting  sun 
cast  a  flood  of  golden  radiance  and  liquid 
amber  on  the  fertile  plain  beneath,  and  its 
boundary  hills.  Far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
the  windings  and  meauderings  of  the  Nile 
were  distinctly  visible,  and  the  solitary  white 


170 


CAVES  AT  BENl  ILUSSAN. 


sail  of  a  Cangia  atone  appeared  gliding  iipoif  1 
its  peaceful  bosom.     The  wild  air  of  our  Arab  I 
attendants    seen    athwart   the   gloom,    stealing 
cautiously  among  the  ruins^now  lost  in   the 
darkness  of  the  caverns — then  emerging  into 
light — their  fierce  cries,  their  loud  halloos,  theJ 
occasional  flash  of  fire-arms,  the  hollow  echoes  1 
that    reverberated    tlu'ougli    the    subterranean  I 
communications,  together  with  the  noble  cham-*J 
bers,  the  deep  caverns,  the  fallen    pillars,   alll 
combined   to   make  the  scene  Iiighly  impres^J 
sive.     In  imagination  we  flew  back  some  thou- J 
sand  years,  when  tliese  temples  were  first  exca-J 
vated  in  honour  of  false  deities ;  "  the  likeness  J 
of  things  in  heaven,  of  things  in  earth,  and  of  ' 
things  under  the  earth."     We  then  thouglit  of 
the  saintly  fathers  of  the  Desert,  who  among 
these  faUen  fanes,  forsaken  shrines,  and  altar^J 
overthrown,  in  tlie  early  ages  of  Christianity^r 
retired  hither  from  the  temptations  and  perse*| 
cutions  of  a  heathen  world,  to  serve  the  onlyj 
true  God  in  solitude  and  peace.     Now,  these " 
caverns,  which  once  offered  a  refuge  to  the  holy 
eremite,  are  the  lurking-place  of  banditti  and 
the  lair  of  wild  beasts  ;  and  the  Reis  pointed  one 
of  the  latter  out,  which  was  distinctly  visible, 
stealing  stealthily  through  the  gloomy  recesses 
of  the  perforated    mountain.     AVhilst 
these  musings,  and  whilst  wc  kept  a  ^ 


lost  in  ^^H 
1  watchful^^H 


CAVES  AT  BENI  HASSAN. 


171 


eye  upon  the  ground  to  mark  the  traces  of  the 
hyffiiia,  in  whose  neighbourliood  we  were  con- 
scious we  were,  and  of  the  robber  Arab,  in 
whose  vicinity  we  feared  wc  migiit  be,  how 
were  we  startled  to  see^a  footstep  !  not  such  as 
alarmed  poor  Robinson  Crusoe  in  his  desert 
island^naked— toe  and  heel  impressed  upon  the 
ground — but  the  true  London  right  and  left 
dandy  sole,  as  if  some  Bond-street  lounger  or 
dashing  dragoon  had  just  left  the  ground.  Oh 
what  a  bathos  [  Egyptian  priests,  holy  ancho- 
rets, robber  Arabs,  and  centuries  of  antiquity 
fled  from  our  siglit,  as  we  involuntarily  flew 
back  to  St.  James's- street. 

As  wc  descended,  we  passed  extensive  ruins, 
deep  pits,  numerous  excavations,  when  the 
Reis,  suddenly  stopping,  pointed  out  —  the 
bones  of  a  man !  Perchance  the  victim  of 
the  robber  of  the  Desert ! 

The  evening  was  lovely,  as  indeed  they  al- 
most ever  are  in  Egypt,  when  after  a  sultry 
and  oppressive  day,  the  cool  and  refreshing 
breeze  springs  up,  and  the  air,  rarified  by  the 
heat,  assumes  a  pecuHar  purity  and  elasticity, 
which  is  unknown  to  our  northern  climes. 

"  In  the  slill  hour  to  musing  dear." 

when  the  daylight  gradually  faded  into  a  soft- 
ened  twilight,   there  was  something  very  de- 


172  SCENERY  OF  THE  NILE. 

lightful  in  gliding  on  the  surface  of  the  vast 
river,  abandoning  the  mind  to  all  the  soft  and 
wildly-pleasing  reveries  of  fancy  :  the  past, 
the  present,  and  the  future,  all  melting  into 
one  bright  chaos:  Oriental  scenery  and  Eu- 
ropean imaginations  combining  to  form  a  fairy 
scene  of  enchantment,  quite  beyond  the  verge 
of  probability,  yet  just  within  the  verge  of 
possibility. 


LETTER  XX. 

Life  on  the  Nile,  and  Scenery. — Sheik  Ababde,  the  Ancient    : 
Antinoe.—  Monfalout. — Siout. — Djebbel  Heredy. — Alann 
of  Robber  Pirates, — Intense  beat. 

To  those  who,  for  the  sake  of  the  beauties  of 
nature  and  the  wonders  of  art,  coidd  abandon, 
for  a  short  period,  tlieir  English  comforts  and 
luxuries,  the  life  upon  the  Nile,  though  mono- 
tonous, would,  from  its  strange  novelty,  be  by 
no  means  undelightful.  Art  ardent  sun — a 
majestic  river  —  dusky  forms  are  seen,  The  i 
eye  no  longer  falls  upon  European  elegance —  ' 
the  ear  is  no  more  greeted  by  European  sounds. 
The  heat,  too  intense  for  exertion  either  of 
body  or  mind,  admits  only  of  a  luxurious,  do- 
nothing  sort  of  existence  —  and  it  is  pleasant 
to  He  upon  the  couch  and  allow  the  thoughts 


LIFE  ON  THE  NILE.  173 

to  assume  a  romantic,  tropical  colouring,  un- 
like— oh !  how  unlike  our  Kuropean  coldness 
and  frigidity,  wliere  the  useful  and  the  expe- 
dient are  always  preferred  to  the  grand  and 
the  noble !  Could  we  transcribe  the  fleeting 
fancy  of  the  moment,  in  all  the  vividness  of 
the  original  conception — could  we  catch  the 
passing  and  fugitive  idea,  it  would  be  truly 
poetical  —  but,  alas  t  the  very  sun,  the  very 
clime  that  inspire  and  excite,  at  the  same  time 
enervate  the  brain,  and  unnerve  the  liand,  that 
would  fain  perpetuate  thoughts  so  strange,  and 
yet  so  wildly  pleasing. 

In  tlie  morning,  it  is  delightful  to  rise  with 
the  sun,  and,  ere  he  has  attained  any  height  in 
the  heavens,  to  walk  by  the  banks  of  the  ma- 
jestic Nile,  so  famed  in  luster}',  both  sacred 
and  profane,  in  poetry,  and  in  romance.  An 
agreeable  breeze  springing  up,  generally  at- 
tempers the  atmosphere,  braces  the  frame,  and 
enlivens  the  spirits.  Then,  when  the  sultry 
sun  drives  most  living  objects  to  seek  the 
friendly  shade,  it  is  pleasant,  at  noon,  to  glide 
along  in  the  Cangia,  and  lazily  reclining  on  the 
couch,  to  watch  the  objects  that  apparently 
move  before  the  eyes : — Tliere  is  now  a  low  and 
level  sand-bank,  and  a  herd  of  cattle  have  come 
down  to  quench  their  ardent  thirst — then,  a 
bold  promontory,  or  steep  bead-land,  clothed 


174 


LIFE  OK  TilE  KILE. 


with  the  purple  haziness  of  heat  and  distance;  I 
closes  the  scene,  and  we  are  apparently  sailing 
on  the  smooth  bosom  of  a  peaceful  and  glassy- 
lake.     Farther  on,  a  fine  reach    of  the  river 
opens     upon    us,   and   a   fresh    breeze    taking 
the  crew  by  surprise,  runs  the  vessel  aground, 
and  "Hamesha  ma  ^  Halle  —  la  —  yah"  —  in 
drowsy  chorus  is  chanted  as  it  is  pushed  off 
again.     Then  will  the  waves  often  ruffle  and 
fume,     verily,    as    if    old    Father    Nile    were 
indulging  in  a  little  fit  of  anger ;  but  his  ire  j 
is   short-lived,  and   we  again   glide  on,  as   if  1 
this  choleric  gentleman  were  the  most  benign 
and  placid  of  river  deities ;   such  as  we  have 
seen  him  at  the  Vatican,  where  in  marble  ma*  j 
jesty  he    lies,   mighty,  grand,  and  composed, 
despite  the  myriad  of  little  sprites   that    play  I 
about  him  and  around  him.     Whilst  this  calnj 
and  dignified  serenity  continues,  his  waves  as- 
sume a  glassy  smoothness  inwhicli  every  object 
is  distinctly  reflected,  and  where  the  river  god- 
desses might  arrange  their  toilet  by  the  aid  of 
this  superb  natural   mirror.      Now  we  come  ■ 
upon  the  clumsy  buffalo,  lolling  and  awkwardly  I 
disporting  in  the  water,  as  if  more  at  home 
there  than  on  land,  with  head  uplifted,  and  ex- 
panded nostril,  quaffing  the  ambient  air — that 
element,  purer  than  even  the  aquatic  one  he  de- 


SCENKltV.  175 

lights  in.  On  a  sandy  islet,  half-a-dozen  storks 
may  be  seen  in  a  composed  attitude,  standing 
upon  one  leg,  contemplating  tliemselves  in  the 
river, — then  stalk  —  stalk  —  stalking  on,  till, 
alarmed  by  the  nearer  approach  of  the  Cangia, 
they  heavily  rise  in  tlie  air  and  vanisli  to  a 
place  of  greater  security.  A  sullen  plash,  pro- 
claims that  a  creeping  crocodile,  winding  his 
unwieldy,  lizard-Hke  form  along,  has  also  de- 
serted the  sunny  bank  where  he  was  basking, 
and  plunging  into  the  stream,  he  hides  himself 
from  the  curious  ken  of  the  voyager.  Then 
upon  the  surface  of  tlie  water,  in  the  distance, 
appears  a  black  spot — what  is  it  ?  What  can  it 
be  ? — It  approaches — it  elongates ; — 'tis  a  man  ! 
A  hardy  native,  who  unmindful  of  crocodiles 
and  river  serpents,  himself  scarcely  less  amphi- 
bious, is  fearlessly  swimming  across  the  Nile. 
A  solemn  stillness  reigns  around  during  the 
sultry  noon-tide  heat,  and  the  sounds  that 
alone  disturb  the  sleepy  monotony,  are,  the 
drowsy  creak  of  water-mills,  the  ceaseless  cry 
of  the  pee-wit,  the  wild  shriek  of  the  water- 
fowl, and  the  lazy  flapping  of  the  sail,  when 
the  breeze  has  entirely  died  away.  Hut  when 
least  expected,  a  sudden  gust,  a  violent  eddy 
of  wind  comes  down  from  the  mountain,  flings 
the  vessel  on  its  side — threatens  to  overturn 


176 


SIIEIK  ABABDE. 


it — the  sleepy  crew  are  aroused, — all  are  on  thtf 
qui  wiue^consternation  reigns  on  board — every 
thing  is  upset, — the  interior  economy  of  the 
cabin  is  totally  deranged.  The  gale,  however, 
proves  as  transient  as  unlooked  for ;  the  Cangia  is 
righted,  and  all  again  resign  themselves  to  sleej^ 
or  to  the  reveries  and  musings  of  tlie  Nile. 

On  the  morning  of  the  12th  a  strong  north 
wind  carried  us  to  Sheik  Ababd^,  the  ancient 
Antinoe,  which  was  built  by  Adrian  in  me- 
mory of  his  favourite,  wlio  devoted  himself  to 
destruction,  and  threw  himself  into  the  Nile,  on 
a  soothsayer's  declaring  that  the  Emperor  would 
prove  unfortunate  during  his  lifetime.  A  heap 
of  dust  is  all  that  now  remains  of  the  Imperial 
city.  Desolation  reigns  around  with  exten- 
sive ruins  and  heaps  of  rubbish,  wearying  alike 
the  foot  and  the  eye.  Tliese  had  been  lately 
ransacked  by  Mahomet  Ali,  in  search  of  trea- 
sure. Prostrate  on  the  ground  were  fine  gra^ 
nite  columns,  and  beautiful  friezes  were  im- 
bedded in  the  sand.  AVe  saw  marble  pillars  on 
dunghills,  and  handsome  carving  over  a  stable ! 
In  character  with  the  scene  was  a  funeral  afar 
off  in  the  Desert,  which  we  had  seen  crossing 
the  river.  JIan  was  gone  to  his  long  home,  and 
loud  were  the  wailings  that  floated  on  the  air. 

One  morning,  when  I  awoke,  I  discovered  an 
immense  tarantula  under  my  pillow,  and  close 


i 


4 


MONFALOUT. 


177 


to  my  cheek,  like  tlie  toad  at  Eve's  ear!  You 
may  conceive  my  horror  and  consternation  at 
the  sight.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day 
we  saw  crncodiles,  for  the  fii'st  time,  dis-sport- 
ing  in  the  cool  waves,  floating  like  logs  upon 
the  water,  or  sunning  themselves,  each  on  '*  a 
bright  little  isle  of  its  own."  The  appearance 
is  that  of  an  immense  lizard.  "  It  is  shaped, 
like  itself,  and  it  is  as  hroad  as  it  has  breadth  : 
it  is  just  as  high  as  it  is,  and  it  moves  with 
its  own  organs :  it  lives  by  that  which  it 
eats,  and  the  elements  once  out  of  it,  it  trans- 
migrates :  it  is  of  its  own  colour  too ;"  and 
as  Lepidus  observed  to  Mark  Antony,  one 
may  safely  acknowledge  that  it  is  indeed  "  a 
strange  serpent," 

Off  Monfalout,  as  we  were  sailing  before  a 

fresh  breeze,  we  came  crash  up  against  another 

I  vessel ;  and  the  noise  of  the  encounter,  the  loud 

j  vociferations,  the  vehement  reproaches,  and  the 

I  mutual  accusations,  but  ill  accorded  with  the 

1  calm  serenity  of  the  evening.     To  prevent  a 

repetition  of  the  accident,  it  was  thought  ad- 

I  visable  to  come  to  anchor  for  the  night.     On 

I  the  following  morning,  (the  13th,)  we  took  a 

long   walk    on    the    banks   of  the   Nile,  and 

1  met  with  a  boat  moored  in  a  little  creek,  which 

they  told  us  belonged  to  an  English  Cowasjee, 

whose  party   we  saw  riding  on  donkeys  at  a 

vol,.    I.  N 


178  SIOUT. 

little  distance.     There  was  here  an  extensiw 
plain  extending  on  the  left,  and  we  beheld  afl 
large  serpent  swim  across  the  river.     AVe  werea 
becalmed  near  Sioiit  in   the  evening,  and  thel 
banks  were   here    very    prettily  fringed    withf 
palms,  mimosas,  tamarisks,  and  other    shrubgil 
This  city,  the  capital  of  Upper  Egypt,  and  th© 
principal  residence  of  one  of  the  Pasha's  son^l 
is  in  latitude  27"  10'.     It  is  supposed  to  occupr 
the  site  of  the  ancient  Lycopolis,  which  wasl 
so  termed  from  the  jackal  having  been  parti+1 
cularly  venerated    here.     Tradition    says    thai 
our  Saviour  and  the  A'irgin  took  refuge  hea 
in  the  time  of  Herod's  persecution  ;   and,  ia 
consequence,  many  Copts  retire  hither  to  spendl 
their  last  days.     The  mountains  in  the  neigh*l 
bourhood,  Djebbel  el  Kofferi,  are  much  perfo- 
rated, and  were  formerly  the  burial-places  i 
the  ancient  Egyptians,  and  these  catacombs  arel 
termed  Sababinath.     In  front  of  these  are  nu*| 
merous  small  white  buildings  with  cupolas,  tho 
tombs  of  the  modern  inhabitants. 

At  a  distance,  Siout,  with  its  mosques  and^ 
minarets,  looks  somewhat  important;  but  on  i 
nearer  approach,  the  narrow  streets  and  houses, 
built  of  unburnt  brick,  present  a  very  mean 
appearance.  The  city  stands  on  a  fertile  plain, 
about  a  mile  or  two  from  the  river,  by  which 
it  is  inundated  at  the  period  of  its  overflow. 


A 


SIONOK  ItOSSI.  179 

We  rode  thither  from  our  Cangia  on  donkeys 
along  a  causeway,  somewhat  elevated  above  its 
surface;  but  though  our  white  faces  aud  fo- 
reign costumes  attracted  general  attention,  and 
though  we  were  also  using  green  umbrellas, 
which  sacred  colour,  it  is  said,  none  but  Hadjes 
may  use  with  impunity  in  Mahometan  coun- 
tries, we  met  with  no  other  molestation  than 
the  old  observation  of  "  Haram."  Having  a 
letter  for  Signor  Rossi,  a  Venetian,  residing 
here,  we  rode  up  to  his  house,  and  down  he 
came  in  Turkish  costume,  but  we  really  could 
scarcely  keep  our  countenances  to  see  the  ex- 
cessive surprise  depicted  on  his  countenance  at 
perceivijig  an  English  gentleman  and  lady  at  his 

door.     As  he  spoke  no  English,  and  C but 

little  Italian,  the  awkward  task  of  introducing 
ourselves,  and  of  explaining  who  and  what  we 
were,  necessarily  fell  upon  me.  He  gave  us  a 
most  courteous  reception,  though  the  interior 
of  his  mansion,  one  of  the  best  there,  as  he  told 
us,  presented  any  thing  but  a  comfortable  ap- 
pearance to  European  ideas.  This  was  a  Copt- 
house; — perhaps,  the  Mahometan  may  be  supe- 
rior, or  they  must  be  poor  indeed.  Signor 
Rossi  had  been  six  years  in  the  country,  having 
been  employed  in  Mr.  Brine's  sugar  manufac- 
tory ;  but  he  seemed  thoroughly  disgusted  with 
Egypt ;  and  from  his  account,  it  must,  in- 
N  2 


180  NUBIAN  WOMEN. 

deed,  at  this  present  moment,  be  a  wretched 
place  for  a  European  to  reside  in.  To  our  sur- 
prise, we  found  the  General  and  his  Staff  had 
out-sailed  us,  and  had  reached  and  left  Siout 
on  the  preceding  day,  having  passed  us  in  the 
night.  This  somewhat  nettled  our  Reis ; '  and 
having  laid  in  a  fresh  stock  of  provisions,  we 
again  set  off,  he  being  determined  to  overtake 
them.  In  consequence  of  this  resolution,  we 
continued  sailing  all  night,  and  passed  Tahta 
and  Gk>w  in  the  dark. 

On  the  following  morning,  (May  15th,)  our 
boat  was  hailed  by  a  person  in  Turkish  cos- 
tume, riding  on  a  camel.  He  proved  to  be  an 
Englishman,  Mr.  Wilkinson,  who  was  amusing 
himself  with  making  a  survey  of  the  Nile. 
He  came  on  board  and  took  some  refresh- 
ment. At  noon  we  met  a  boat  full  of  tro- 
pical beauties ;  their  faces  positively  blacker 
than  coal,  and  their  hair  plaited  and  braided 
in  the  Nubian  fashion,  which  much  resem- 
bled the  head-dress  of  the  Sphynx.  They 
showed  their  white  teeth,  and  grinned,  and 
nodded  most  graciously  to  me,  and  I  smiled, 
and  bowed  in  return.  The  wind  was  too  fair 
to  allow  us  to  stop  to  explore  the  grottos  and 
excavations  of  the  mountain  Djebel  Heredy,  in 
which  the  Reis  told  us  treasure  had  been  dis- 
covered, and  where  are  the  crystal  surface  and 


BFXALMED.  181 

pillars  which  Sir  Frederick  Henniker  com- 
pares to  Sindbad's  valley  of  diamonds.  The 
name  is  derived  from  a  Mahometan  Santon, 
who  tradition  states  migi-ated  into  the  body  of 
a  serpent,  under  which  form  he  is  still  supposed 
to  reside  here,  and  is  venerated  as  an  oracle. 

We  passed  Girg^  at  about  10  p.  m.  It  is 
so  termed  from  our  patron  Saint,  St,  George, 
and  there  is  a  monastery  here  dedicated  to  him. 
By  the  light  of  the  moon,  it  appeared  a  consi- 
derable place,  and  looked  rather  important, 
springing  apparently  from  the  very  bosom  of 
the  water.  The  two  following  days  we  were 
regularly  becalmed.  The  river  assumed  a 
glassy  smoothness,  like  a  silvery  lake,  and  we 
were  obliged  to  track  for  the  greater  part  of  the 
time.  The  scenery  was  very  fine.  The  moun- 
tains, totally  barren,  and  devoid  of  all  verdure 
and  vegetation,  were  of  a  considerable  height, 
and  bold  and  precipitous.  They  here  approach- 
ed close  to  the  river.  The  heat  was  intense, 
and  I  felt  so  overcome,  that  I  thought  I  was 
going  to  be  seriously  ill,  till  a  glance  at  the 
tliermomcter,  which  was  above  100",  very  satis- 
factorily explained  the  cause  of  my  languor 
and  depression.  It  is  impossible  to  describe 
how  strange  it  was  to  find  every  thing  we 
touched  much  hotter  than  blood  heat.  The 
furniture  even  in  the  cabin  was  unpleasantly 


182  iVLAllM  OF  RIVER  PIRATES. 

warm,  and  it  was  almost  startling  to  feel  what 
we  were  accustomed  to  find  cool,  thoroughly 
heated.  We  saw  several  wild  geese  here,  and 
such  numbers  of  crocodiles,  that  the  Reis  re- 
quested C not  to  bathe.     On  the  18th  the 

thermometer  rose  to  110**.  The  atmosphere 
was  clouded  with  a  heated  fog,  and  the  distant 
headlands  were  obsciu'ed  by  a  purple  vapour. 
The  heat  was  too  intense  to  think  of  seeing 
Dendera  at  this  time,  so  we  passed  that  place 
and  Kennd ;  but  scarcely  had  we  come  to  an- 
chor for  the  night,  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Keft,  or  Coptos,  when  our  slumbers  were  dis- 
turbed by  the  report  of  robbers.  C im- 
mediately arose,  and,  calling  all  the  sailors 
on  board,  they  pushed  the  Cangia  off  into 
the  middle  of  the  river,  when  we  had  the 
pleasure  of  seeing  forty  or  fifty  men's  heads 
stealthily  peeping  over  the  banks,  evidently 
watching  our  movements,  with  apparently  a 
hostile  intention ;  and  probably,  had  we  not 
been  on  the  alert,  the  boat  would  have  been 
plundered  by  these  river-pirates.  We  fortu- 
rately  escaped;  but  I  passed  a  very  anxious 
night,  and  right  glad  was  I  to  hail  the  dawn 
of  day,  which  alone  put  an  end  to  my  ap- 
prehensions. 


AUHUAJ.  AT  THEBES. 


I 


LETTER  XXI. 

Arrivul  ul  Tliebcs.— Visit  Irom  llie  Caeheff  of  Luxor. — 
Superb  1  em  pie. — CachelTa  House.— Magnificent  Temple 
of  Carnae. — Sesostris, — Hgyplian  Dynaslie?. 

At  day-break  we  met  the  General's  boats  rf- 
tiirning  from  Thebes,  which  place,  liaving  com- 
plutely  got  the  start  of  us,  he  had  visited  on 
the  preceding  day.  About  noon,  the  Reis  be- 
gan to  look  out  for  a  large  sycamore,  the  land- 
mark by  which  he  was  to  recognise  Thebes. 
A  Cangia  was  moored  in  its  neighbourhood, 
and  a  tent  was  picturesquely  pitched  beneath 
its  friendly  shade,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a 
water-mill.  These  were  the  property  of  Mr. 
Hay,  who,  with  Mr.  Bonomi,  had  been  re- 
siding here  some  time,  amusing  himself  %vith 
making  excavations  and  discoveries.  Scarcely 
had  we  come  to  anchor,  ere  we  were  beset  by 
wild-looking  natives,  offering  necklaces,  scara- 
bjei,and  other  curiosities  for  sale,  with  the  same 
eagerness  with  whicli  the  M'atcrloo  people  bring 
relics  to  travellers.  Our  gravity  was  quite  put 
to  flight  by  the  sudden  entrance  of  a  cat- 
through  the  window.  Had  she  been  alive  she 
would  have  been  invaluable,  on  account  of  the 
rats  which  infested  the  Cangia ;  but  this  was  a 


li^  THE  CJkCBTFT  OT  LTSOK, 

staad  c4d  moiuerp  of  the  tune  of  Flnnoh  per- 
diancev  looking  »  demure  and  »  wise,  how- 
erer,  as  anjr  €€  the  tahhies  <tf  the  present  day, 
tiiougii  probablT  three  thotiand  years  had  rc^ed 
orer  her  head  in  her  mummv  form.  We  took 
posdesdon  ol  her,  and  of  some  of  the  other  curi- 
onties,  whidi  were  here  c^ered  in  sudi .  pro- 
fusion^  that  thej  seemed  to  kxe  thdr  value  by 
their  nwnbers. 

In  the  aftemocm  we  crossed  over  to  Luxcm*, 
and  the  Cadieff  sent  us  a  present  of  scnne  cu- 
cumbers, and  an  invitation  to  dinner!    C 

then  went  to  pay  him  a  visit,  and  to  make  my 
excuses,  saying  it  was  not  the  custom  for  Eng- 
lish ladies  to  dine  where  there  were  none  of 
their  own  sex  to  meet  them.  In  about  an  hour, 
whilst,  exhausted  with  heat,  I  was  reposing  in 
the  cabin,  Giovanni  came  running  to  the  door, 
saying,  **  his  master  was  coming,  con  tutf  i  Sig^ 
nori.'^  Starting  up,  and  looking  out  of  the  win- 
dow, I  saw  C returning,  accompanied  and 

surrounded  by  an  imn^ense  crowd  of  Arabs  and 
wild- looking  natives.  After  holding  a  short 
audience   under  the   awning  in  front  of  the 

cabiu,  C brought  the  Cacheff  and  one  or 

two  of  his  principal  attendants  inside,  and  in- 
troduced them  to  me.  They  seemed,  and  ex- 
pressed themselves  much  pleased  with  their  re- 
wption,  exclaiming,  "  C was  good,  and  I 


I 


was  good,  and  every  thing  was  good."  They 
likewise  appeared  highly  delighted  witli  the  re- 
freshments offered,  particularly  with  the  brandy 
and  water,  which  they  quaffed  with  the  great- 
est glee,  the  rest  of  the  suite  all  the  time  peep- 
ing in  at  the  doors  and  windows,  and  eyeing 
me  with  as  much  curiosity  as  we  should  view  a 
rhinoceros  or  hippopotamus. 

We  then  proposed  going  to  see  the  Temple, 
when  the  whole  party  volunteered  accompany- 
ing us,  and  a  strange  and  motley  group  we 
were.  This  majestic  building  is  nearly  choked 
with  modern  huts,  heaps  of  sand,  and  mounds 
of  rubbish,  broken  pottery,  dirt,  and  filth.  In 
many  of  the  walls,  sticks  are  inserted  for  the 
accommodation  of  pigeons,  which  bird  is  par- 
ticularly venerated  by  Mahometans,  as  the  life 
of  their  Prophet  was  once  saved  by  a  dove ; 
and  these,  together  with  llie  circular  pots,  re- 
sembling men's  heads,  peephig  over  the  battle- 
mented  walls,  had  a  most  singular  effect.  At 
the  principal  entrance  of  the  Temple  stand  two 
noble  obelisks,  in  perfect  preservation,  with  co- 
lossal figures,  in  a  sitting  position,  half  imbed- 
ded in  the  sand.  After  passing  through  a  ma- 
jestic Propylon,  we  saw  some  fine  sculpture  and 
paintings,  representing  battle-scenes.  From 
thence,  a  double  row  of  immense  pillars,  seven 
in  number,  with  the  lotus  flower  and  bud  for 


186  TUEBES. 

the  capita],  led  to  a  court  surrounded  with  pil- 
larSy  beycmd  which  was  another  portico  and 
several  mterior  apartments ;  but  such  confusion 
reigned  around,  that  it  was  difficult  to  form 
a  correct  idea  of  the  original  building,  which, 
when  perfect,  must  have  been  most  grand,  and 

even  in  ruins,  is  still  superb.     C ascended 

the  top  of  one  of  the  Propyla,  whilst  I  re- 
mained in  the  court  below,  upon  which  my 
friend,  the  courteous  Cacheff,  most  politely 
brushing  the  dust  off  from  a  low  wall  with  the 
skirt  of  his  own  robe,  waved  to  me,  and  made 
signs  for  me  to  come  and  sit  down  by  him 

whilst  waiting  for  C 's  return.     He  then 

invited  us  into  his  house,  built  of,  and  amongst 
the  ruins ;  and  very  like  an  owlet's  retreat  it 
proved.  Ascending  a  rude  staircase,  we  en-^ 
tered  an  apartment  of  tolerable  size,  the 
walls  and  floor  of  which  were  composed  of 
beaten  mud,  but  at  the  superior  and  elevated 
part  of  the  room  were  carpets  and  sofas,  upon 
which  the  Cacheff  placed   us,   myself  on   his 

right,  and  C- on  his  left  hand,  whilst  our 

respective  attendants  seated  themselves  on  the 
ground.  He  then  asked  us  several  questions 
in  a  very  polite  manner ;  coffee  in  the  usual 
beautiful  little  China  cups  was  brought,  and 
pipes ;  but  I  had  some  difficulty  to  keep  my 
iH)untenance,  when,  after  smoking  one  of  the 


TUKUES.  187 

latter  for  a  short  time,  he  most  courteously 
offered  it  to  me.  Repressing  a  strong  inclina- 
tion to  laugh,  1  decHncd  it,  observing  that  "the 
English  ladies  did  not  smoke  ;"  upon  which  lie 
presented  it  to  C— — ,  and  then  to  our  head 
servant.  Sheik  Cliaund,  who  however  very  pro- 
perly refused  it,  "  as  being  too  great  an  honour 
for  him."  An  ewer  and  basin  of  water  were 
tlien  brought  in,  and  we  took  our  leave,  highly 
amused  with  our  soiree  at  the  house  of  the 
Caclieff  of  Luxor. 

Returning  to  our  boat,  we  passed  se\eral 
female  figures  of  granite,  sitting  gazing  pen- 
sively on  the  Nile,  the  ceaseless  flow  of  whose 
waters  they  had  been  watching  for  probably 
more  centuries  tlian  1  had  lived  years.  The 
Cacheff  very  generously  offered  any,  or  all  these 

statues  to  C ,  but  fortunately  for  the  future 

traveller  and  antiquary,  they  were  too  cum- 
brous and  ponderous  to  be  pleasant  travel- 
ling companions  across  the  Desert,  although  I 
cerUiinly  should  have  liked  to  have  had  a 
female  friend  with  me  occasionally.  Could  we 
have  animated  these  said  statues,  what  an  agree- 
able gossip  we  might  have  had  with  them  con- 
cerning King  Sesostris,  and  other  heroes  of 
the  olden  time,  when  Thebes,  like  London, 
was  po])ulous,  and  animated,  and  great,  and 
powerful ;     but     we    were     forceil     to     leave 


188  TEMPLE  OF  CARNAC. 

these  granite  ladies  to  their  meditations  upon 
the  Nile,  where  they  still  remain,  as  if  fixed 
there  by  the  wizard  wand  of  some  potent  en- 
chanter. They  reminded  me  of  Zobeide's 
palace,  where  she  found  all  the  inhabitants 
turned  into  stone.  The  Arabs,  by  the  by,  do 
consider  statues  as  nothing  more  than  the 
actual  bodies  of  men  and  women  which  have 
been  petrified. 

At  sun-rise,  on  the  20th,  we  mounted  our 
donkeys,  and  set  out  to  visit  Camac,  the  ma- 
jestic ruins  of  which  appeared  in  the  distance, 
towering  in  their  magnificence  most  sublimely 
above  a  grove  of  trees.  After  traversing  a  low 
tract  of  land,  which  is  annually  flooded  by  the 
Nile,  we  came  upon  the  Temple,  and  here  I 
doubt  whether  even  Sir  Walter  Scott,  with  all 
his  powers  of  description,  would  be  able  to  con- 
vey even  a  faint  idea  of  the  overwhelming  gran- 
deur that  awaits  the  spectator.  An  avenue  of 
Sphynxes,  which,  though  partly  ruined,  are 
still  distinctly  visible,  reaches  from  Camac  to 
Luxor,  two  or  three  miles  distant.  In  every 
direction  sweep  fine  colonnades;  and  iimume- 
rable  courts  and  halls  puzzle  and  bewilder  the 
imagination.  The  walls  are  covered  with  a 
profusion  of  sculpture  and  painting;  and  Mr. 
Hay,  who  had  kindly  undertaken  the  office  of 
Cicerone,  pointed  out  to  us  in  particular  some 


TEMPLE  OF  CARNAC. 


199 


very  spirited  battle-scenes,  as  also  the  discoveries 
he  had  lately  been  making,  by  excavations,  and 
by  clearing  away  the  accnmulated  sand,  so 
that  I  had  the  pleasure  of  being  the  first  of 
my  conntrywomen  to  behold  what  had  been 
hidden  for  ages  from  the  light  of  man,  and  was 
now  brought  to  sight  by  his  indefatigable  ex- 
ertions. We  saw  two  noble  obelisks  standing 
with  a  third  prostrate  on  the  ground,  and  a 
column  of  majestic  proportions  in  insulated 
grandeur,  all  its  comrades  having  fallen.  There 
were  also  the  fragments  of  a  colossal  granite 
statue,  the  limbs  of  which  were  still  very  per- 
fect, and  another  of  equal  dimensions,  but  more 
mutilated  and  broken,  A  fox  stealing  among 
the  ruins  was  quite  in  character  with  the  scene. 
The  roof  of  one  of  the  sanctuaries,  which  is 
in  excellent  preservation,  is  painted  blue,  and 
covered  with  golden  stars,  which  had  a  very 
fine  effect ;  but  what  struck  us  most,  and  lite- 
rally overwhelmed  us  witli  astonishment,  was 
a  truly  majestic  forest  of  gigantic  columns, 
the  greater  part  quite  perfect,  though  one  or 
two  in  a  falling  state  were  yet  suspended  in 
the  air,  as  if  the  angel  of  destruction  in  passing 
over,  had  stayed  his  destroying  hand,  touched 
with  the  magnificence  of  the  scene  ;  or 

"  As  if  the  spoiler  had  turn'd  back  with  fear, 
And,  turning,  left  tliem  to  the  elemenU." 


190 


TEMI'I.E  (.IF  CARNAC, 


From  the  top  of  one  of  the  propyla,  whiel 
we  ascended,  we  had  a  sort  of  panoramic  view 
of  the  scene.  In  eveiy  direction,  diverging', 
like  the  radii  of  a  circle  from  a  common  centra 
we  beheld  vast  avenues  of  immense  pillars^ 
gigantic  ruins,  majestic  fragments,  and  an  infe 
nity  of  propyla  and  gateways,  which  from- 
their  numbers  might  have  well  entitled  ancient 
Thebes  to  have  been  denominated,  par  excel- 
lence, "  Hecatompylos,  the  city  of  a  hundred 
gates."  Upon  one  of  the  colonnades  had  lately 
been  discovered  the  name  of  Seconthis,  and  of  j 
his  successor  Osorchon,  written  "  The  beloved' 
of  Anion,  Scheschonk."  According  to  Blair, 
Seconthis  flourished  874  before  Christ.  He  is 
by  some  thought  to  have  been  the  Shishak  of 
the  Scriptures,  who  sacked  Jerusalem  970 
before  Christ;  though  Sir  Isaac  Newton  con- 
siders Shishak  to  have  been  the  same  with 
Sesostris :  but  whoever  may  Iiave  founded  or 
inhabited  Thebes,  enough  remains  at  the  end 
of  two  or  three  thousand  years  to  show  that  at 
one  period,  it  was,  perhaps,  the  grandest  city  in 
the  world,  and  to  prove  that  the  inhabitants  oif 
Africa,  however  we  may  now  maltreat  them, 
were  at  one  time  very  superior  to  ourselves 
in  some  respects,  for  what  modern  building 
would  survive  the  flight  of  so  many  centuries  ? 
Amongst  all  the  majestic  buildings  at  Thebes, 


I 


TEMPI.IL  or  CARNAC. 


191 


probably  Caniac  reigns  preeminent,  and  such  is 
its  wonderful  majesty  and  strength,  that  it  seems 
as  if  nothing  but  Almighty  power  could  have 
destroyed  it,  when  for  the  sins  of  the  nation 
"  the  Lord  God  destroyed  the  idols  and  caused 
their  images  to  cease ;"'  when  "He  poured  his 
fury  upon  Sin,  the  strength  of  Egj-pt,  and  cut 
off  the  multitude  of  No;"  when  "He  set  fire  in 
Egj'pt,  and  No  was  rent  in  sunder."  Oh,  the 
greatness  and  the  littleness  of  man,  which, 
whilst  he  debased  himself  to  worship  "the  like- 
ness of  things  in  Heaven  above,  and  in  the 
eiirth  beneath,  and  in  the  water  under  the 
earth,"  could  at  the  same  time  have  raised  such 
grand,  such  magnificent  structures  to  the  ho- 
nour of  false  gods ! 

The  walls  of  Caniac  and  the  other  buildings 

'  are  covered  with  the  names  of  our  countrymen, 
who  have  sought  a  little  transient  fame  by  in- 
scribing them  where  those  of  heroes  are  passed 
into  oblivion  and  forgotten.  In  some  of  the 
smaller  apartments,  some  late  travellers,  turning 
out  the  owls  and  bats,  had  taken  up  their  abode, 
disputing  with  them  the  possession  of  these 
fallen  edifices.  Had  we  not  been  pressed  for 
time,  I  cannot  but  say  I  would  most  willingly 
have  followed  their  example,  by  spending  more 

[weeks  than  we  could  spare  hours  at  Camac; 

L  but  delighted  with  what  wc  had  seen,  we  re- 


194 


EGYPTIAN  DYNASTIES. 


been  Rhameses  Setlion,  who  reigned  1300  years  | 
before  Christ.      He  succeeded  Amenophi 
whose  reign  the  Israelites  left  Egypt,  wlio  was  i 
the  successor  of  Rampses,  or  Rhainesis,  who  ] 
succeeded  Sethro  Egyptos,  the  founder  of  the 
19th  Diospolitan  dynasty.     Although  national 
vanity  made  the  ancient  Egyptians  represent 
the  various  dynasties  as  successive,  it  is  thought  . 
many  of  them  were  collateral,  as    Egypt  was  | 
said  to  have  been  divided   into  seven  districts 
where  monarchs  reigned: — Diospolis  or  Thebes, 
Memphis,  Tanis,  Bubastis,  Sals,   Sethron,  and 
Elephantine.     This  would   account  for  much  J 
of  the  confusion  and  uncertainty  which  reigns  I 
in  the  early  accounts  of  the  history  of  Egypt, 
and  it  would  appear  that  the  Diospolitan  mo- 
narchs, by  whom  most  of  the  noble  structures 
of   Thebes  were   built,    at    the  time,  or  soon,! 
after  the  Israelites  sojourned    in  Egypt,  were  ^ 
a  distinct  race  from  tlie  Pharaohs  of  Scripture; 
but  as  the  hieroglyphics  are  deciphered,  fresh 
discoveries  may  be  anticipated. 


ttllSAN  UOL  MUULK. 


LETTER  XXII. 

Bibun  Ool    aioolk.— Torab  of  Scsostris,  or  Amun  Mai  Ra- 
mcBes^Arab  atlendantB.-Tomb  of  Rhainses  III. 

Mn.  Hay  and  Mr.  Bonomi  breakfasted  and 
dined  with  us  on  board  our  Cangia  ;  and  in  the 
evening  of  the  same  day,  we  again  mounted 
our  donkeys  and  proceeded  to  Biban  Ool  Moolk, 
the  Valley  of  tlie  Tombs  of  the  Kings.  As 
we  advanced,  the  road  gradually  became  more 
wild  and  desolate,  till  we  entered  the  valley, 
worthy  to  be  termed  the  Valley  of  Death. 
The  scenery  was  fit  for  the  pencil  of  Salvator 
Rosa,  and  tlie  only  living  creature  we  saw 
was  a  gazelle  which  peeped  over  the  rock, 
when  in  an  instant  all  the  Arabs  and  dogs 
were  in  full  pursuit  with  wild  halloo  and  shout, 
which  re-echoing  and  reverberating  among  the 
hills,  strangely  sounded  among  the  surround- 
ing stillness.  The  defile  became  narrower  and 
narrower,  the  mountains  assumed  a  more  savage 
appearance  than  we  had  ever  before  seen,  even 
among  the  deepest  recesses  of  the  Alps.  Not 
a  blade  of  grass,- — no  verdure,  nor  vegetation 
were  visible — all  nature  seemed  to  be  dead, 
and  even  the  scorpion  we  picked  up  was  cold  and 
stiff.  At  the  head  of  this  valley  were  the  Tombs, 
o  i 


196 


TOMB  OF  SESOSTIUS. 


and  we  entered  tliat  of  King  Sesostris,  or  Aniun 
Mai  Rameses,  lately  discovered  by  Belzoni» 
by  a  steep  descent  or  staircase,  at  the  bottom 
of  which  was  a  door,  which  Mr,  Salt  has  had 
placed  there  to  keep  out  the  external  air.  I 
thought  of  Aladdin  and  his  cave,  as  from  a 
painted  corridor  we  passed  into  a  room  filled 
with  spirited  sketches,  and  then  by  another 
staircase  we  found  ourselves  in  a  large  sub- 
terranean hall,  and  a  handsome  arched  room, 
where  stood  the  alabaster  sarcophagus.  One 
of  the  lateral  apartments  has  a  projection  all 
round,  and  was  termed  from  thence  by  Belzoni 
the  side-board  room  :  it  was,  when  first  discover- 
ed, full  of  small  figures  of  perfumed  wood,  from 
six  to  ten  inches  long,  covered  with  hierogly- 
phics, many  of  which  are  still  remaining.  The 
walls  of  all  are  covered  with  the  most  spirited 
paintings,  the  colours  as  fresh  and  as  vivid  as  if 
finished  but  yesterday,  and  it  was  with  difficul 
ty  we  could  believe  they  were  some  thousand 
years  old.  One  room  is  in  an  unfinished  state^ 
and,  from  this  circumstance,  is,  perhaps,  more- 
startling  and  affecting  than  those  which  are  com- 
pleted, for  it  has  the  appearance  of  liaving  been 
just  left  by  the  workmen,  who  were  intending 
shortly  to  return  to  complete  their  performances. 
There  was  something  wonderfully  striking,  and 
even  awful,  in  thus  traversing  these  majesti 


1 


TOMB  OF  SESOSTRIS. 


197 


suites  of  subterranean  apartments,  excavated 
in  the  bowels  of  the  earth  ;  and  I  really  could 
have  fancied  myself  visiting  some  of  the  palaces 
in  the  Arabian  Nights,  constructed  by  magi- 
cians or  genii.  Our  Arab  attendants  were 
highly  delighted  with  all  they  saw,  and  one 
of  them,  who  had  particularly  devoted  himself 
to  me,  and  insisted  upon  being  my  squire 
wherever  I  went,  amused  us  considerably  by 
his  way  of  doing  the  honours.  He  was  par- 
ticularly pleased  with  a  huge  ox  in  a  proces- 
sion, to  which  lie  turned  my  attention,  making 
a  chucking  noise,  as  if  to  bid  it  go  on ;  as 
Michael  Angelo  exclaimed  "  cammina"  to  the 
equestrian  statue  of  Marcus  Antoninus ;  and 
when,  after  examining  the  figures  with  mature 
deliberation,  he  and  his  companions  had  dis- 
covered their  eyes,  noses,  moutlis,  &cc.  with  the 
greatest  joy  and  glee  they  pointed  them  out  to 
us,  expressively  touching  their  own  features  at 
the  same  time,  as  if  doubting  our  capacity  to 
comprehend  them  ;  and  upon  some  of  the  party 
writing  their  names  upon  the  wall,  they  im- 
mediately fell  to  imitating  them,  by  scribbling 
something  also,  as  if  they  thought  it  were  some 
magical  ceremony. 

From  thence  we  proceeded  to  the  Tomb  of 
Rhamses  III.  which  is  known  to  travellers  by 
the  name  of  Bruce,  who  discovered  it ;  and  the 


19ti 


TO.MI)  OF  RliAMSKSlll. 


approach  to  which  an  immense  number  of  bata'  1 
seemed  willing  to  dispute  with  us.  However,'  I 
we  effected  an  entree,  and  descended  into  a 
long  corridor,  on  both  sides  of  which  were  I 
several  small  rooms,  full  of  the  most  cu-J 
rious  and  interesting  paintings,  in  which  were  I 
delineated  various  domestic  scenes,  weapons  of-B 
offence  and  defence,  implements  of  agriculture,  \ 
boats,  household  utensils,  chairs,  baskets,  and  in  j 
the  famous  Harpers'-room,  were  the  two  figures  1 
so  particularly  described  by  Bruce,  playing! 
upon  harps. 

After   our   exertions,    we    sat    down    upoitJ 
some  rocks  at  the  mouth  of  the  caves  to  restfl 
ourselves.      The    scene   was  savage  and  wild 
beyond    description.      Rocks    and    mountains 
confusedly    hurled    around,    met    the    eye    in 
every  direction,    whilst   the  full  moon,  rising 
in  majestic  splendour  at  the  head  of  the  val- 
ley, darkened  the  gloom   of  the  excavations,  J 
deepened   the    shadows    of    the    caverns,    and! 
threw  the   rocks  into  bold    relief.     The  bats,  ' 
fit    denizens    of    such    gloomy    places,    flitted 
around  us  from  tomb  to  tomb,  as  if  convey- 
ing  messages   from   one  ghost  to  another,  (kJ 
imparting  intelligence  of  one  mummy  to  it$I 
mummy  brother.     On  the  ground,  in  deep  i 
pose,  were  stretched  our   donkeys,  our   dogi 
and  our  half-barbarous  attendants. 


TOMB  OK   ItlLVMSES  III. 


199 


A  solemn  stillness  reigned  around,  which 
was  only  interrupted  by  the  heavy  whirring 
of  the  leather-winged  bats.  A  more  awfully 
impressive  scene  I  never  beheld,  and  to  com- 
plete the  picture,  it  only  wanted  a  band  of 
robbers  stealing  down  the  mountains :  fortu- 
nately, however,  that  addition  to  the  scenery, 
of  which  we  were  really  in  some  degree  ap- 
prehensive, was  sp;ired  me,  and  is  reserved 
to  grace  the  journal  of  some  future  heroine, 
whose  wandering  star  may  lead  iier  to  visit  the 
tombs  of  the  ancient  Kings  of  Egypt;  but  as 
it  ^vas  growing  very  late,  we  at  length  deemed 
it  would  be  expedient  to  return,  and  we  had  a 
pleasant  moonlight  ride  home,  after  leaving 
tile  wild,  t!ie  dreary,  the  desolate  valley  of 
Biban  Ool  Moolk,  imdisturbed  by  either  the 
ghosts  of  King  Sesostris,  or  of  Rhamses  III. 
and  unimpeded  by  the  more  formidable  ap- 
pearance of  robbers  of  the  I^esert. 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  believe  that  these 
noble  suites  of  subterranean  chambers  were  ex- 
cavated wholly  for  the  purpose  of  serving  as 
the  burial-place  for  one  person,  however  distin- 
guished he  might  have  been,  Kzekiel,  SQ'i' 
years  before  Clirist,  in  his  vision  of  Jealousy, 
and  in  his  description  of  the  chambers  of  ima- 
gery, and  of  the  abominations  therein  practised, 
in  the  8th  chapter  oi  his  Tropliecies,  7th  to 


soo 


THE  ISIUEUTES  IN  EGYPT. 


12th  verse,  has  exactly  delineated  the  tombs  of 
the  Kings  of  Thebes,  and  possibly  has  explain- 
ed the  idolatrous  uses  to  which  they  might 
have  been  appropriated. 

The  Israelites  were  ever  prone  to  imitate  the 
Egyptians  in  their  idolatrous  practices,  and  it 
Bcems  pretty  well  ascertained  now,  that  some 
of  the  noble  structures  of  Thebes  were  erected 
during  their  sojourn  in  the  country,  or  soon 
after  their  departure.  Abraham  went  down  to 
Egypt  B.C.  1921,  about  430  years  after  the 
Deluge.  Joseph  was  sold  into  Egypt  B.C. 
1729  ;  he  was  advanced  to  power  by  Pharaoh 
B.C.  1715;  his  family  came  into  Egypt  B.C. 
1705 ;  and  the  Exodus  of  the  Israelites  took 
place  B.C.  14901  which  is  about  the  end  of  the 
18th,  and  beginning  of  the  19th  dynasties  of 
the  Diospolitan  Kings ;  when  and  by  whom  it 
is  supposed  that  the  tombs  were  excavated,  and 
many  of  the  chief  buildings  at  Thebes  erected, 
so  that  tlie  Israelites  might  have  acquired  a 
knowledge  of  the  rites,  which  some  think  were 
practised  in  the  tombs,  before  they  left  Egypt; 
but  they  kept  up  afterwards  so  constant  an  in- 
tercourse, as  may  be  seen  by  the  denunciations 
of  the  Prophets  for  their  reliance  upon  Egypt, 
that  any  similarity  of  manners  cannot  be  a  sub- 
ject of  surprise.  It  is  true  there  is  no  appear- 
ance of  smoke  upon  the  walls   of  the  tombs 


TUK  ME.MNONIUM.  201 

which  we  visited,  and  tlie  colours  of  the  paint- 
ings are  perfectly  fresh  and  vivid,  which  mili- 
tates against  the  idea  of  these  having  been  used 
for  secret  mysteries  ;  this  circumstance  induces 
some  to  beheve  they  were  only  used  as  sepul- 
chral chambers.  Dr.  Pocockc,  however,  1  think, 
mentions,  he  saw  several  others  discoloured  by 
smoke. 


LETTEK  XXIII. 

Memnonium. — Medinet  Abou. — Colossal  Statues. — Shammy 
and  Tammy. — Mummies.— Curiosities  discovered  in  the 
Tomba  of  the  Kings. 

On  the  morning  of  the  21st,  our  party  assem- 
bled early,  and  we  proceeded  to  tlie  Memno- 
nium, by  some  supposed  to  be  the  Tomb  of 
Osymandyas,  the  hero  of  the  l6th  dynasty  of 
Diospolitan  Kings,  wlio  flourished  B.C.  2272, 
and  deserving  of  fame,  as  being  the  first  person 
who  collected  a  library  !  Here,  prone  on  the 
ground,  lay  the  magnificent  remains  of  the  co- 
lossal statue,  which  is  by  some  called  the  greater 
Memnon.  The  counWnaiice  is  fine  and  placid, 
and  the  features  good.  Upon  the  fragments  of 
the  lesser  Memnon,  whose  head,  by  the  indefati- 
gable exertions  of  the  adventurous,  but  ill-starred 
Belzoni,  has  been  installed  in  the  British  Mu- 
seum, is  the  name  of  that  unfortunate  traveller, 


202  TEMI'LE  Ol    MEDINET  ABOU. 

engraved  by  himself.     We  were  much  struck 
with  the  impoising  appearance  of  some  colossal 
statues,  standing  in  front  of  the  temple,  support- 
ing a  sort  of  portico,  with  their  arms  crossed 
on  their  breasts,  and   looking  as  if  they  only 
waited  for  the  word  of  command  to  start  forward.  ' 
From  this  noble  and  majestic  ruin,  we  crossed 
the  plain  to  the  Temple  of  Medinet  Abou,  the 
effect  of  which  is,  at  a  distance,  somewhat  dis- 
figured by  the  modern  mud  huts  which  have 
been  erected  against  and  upon  the  walls,  and 
whicli    really    have   the   appearance   of  wasps'  - 
nests.     We  enteretl    by  a  comparatively    mo-  I 
dern  propylon,  and  passed  into  a  temple,  with 
several   small  lateral   apartments,   in   some  of  ' 
which  our  Cicerones  liad  very  recently  been  re- 
siding.    We  there  saw  the  ruins  of  a  palace, 
which  would  have  made  the  buildings  of  Rome, 
the    Palatine   and   the  Coliseum,  "  hide    their 
diminished  heads,"  on  so  tremendously  grand  a  | 
scale  was  every  thing  here.     It  was  constructed 
of  enormous    masses    of  stone,    fourteen    and  | 
twenty  feet  large,  and  these  ^vere  covered  with 
spirited    sculpture.      O*  one   of    them    have 
lately  been  discovered  the   figures  of  a  king 
playing  at  a  game   resembling  chess,  with   a 
lady  in  a  standing  position.     After  I  thought 
we  had  seen   all,  I  was  struck  with  astonish- 
ment at  the  superliitive  magnificence  of  a  court,  . 


TEMI'LE  or  MEDINET  ABOU. 


203 


into  which  we  subsequently  passed.  It  was 
surrounded  by  a  majestic  gallery,  or  colon- 
nade, the  ceilings  and  walls  of  which  were  or- 
namented with  superb  sculpture  and  paintings, 
as  indeed  was  every  pillar,  and  also  the  exte- 
rior of  the  temple  ;  spirited  battle  and  hunting- 
scenes  were  represented,  and  dreadful  scenes  of 
devastation  and  cruelty  pourtrayed.  The  prin- 
cipal hero  of  the  piece,  both  here  and  else- 
where, is  generally  represented  as  of  colossal 
height,  in  comparison  to  Ins  antagonists,  whom 
he  is  depicted  as  mutilating,  butcliering,  and 
sacrificing  in  the  most  cruel  and  barbarous 
manner.  Many  of  these  seem  to  be  depre- 
cating his  vengeance,  and  praying  for  that 
mercy  which  the  victor  denies.  The  touf- 
ensemlle  of  this  court  is  certainly  somewhat 
heavy ;  but  there  is  such  a  ponderous  majesty 
about  it,  that  it  seems  as  if  it  might  defy 
even  the  ravages  of  time  itself.  In  the  centre 
may  still  be  seen  the  remains  of  a  Christian 
church,  and  most  poor  and  mean  they  are.  In 
the  dust  we  distinctly  saw  the  fresh  marks  of  a 
wolfs  foot!  The  coollSbservation  of  "  Probably 
he  slept  here  last  night,  and  is  now  in  the 
neighbourhood,"  was  not  particularly  pleasing 
to  my  womanish  feelings ;  and  I  cannot  but 
say  I  looked  with  some  degree  of  nervous 
apprehension    into    the    difTerent    apartments. 


204  COLOSSAL  STATUES. 

fearful  lest  the  ravenous  animal,  having  taken 
up  his  abode  in  one  of  them,  might  spring 
upon  me  from  thence.  In  this  neighbourhood 
we  saw  a  profusion  of  cornelians  and  agates 
imbedded  in  the  sand. 

We  then  proceeded  along  an  avenue  of 
broken  and  mutilated  Sphynxes,  to  where  the 
famous  statues.  Shammy  and  Tammy,  as  they 
are  termed  by  the  Arabs,  are  sitting  in  colossal 
and  solitary  grandeur :  generations  have  passed 
away,  centuries  have  rolled  over  their  heads, 
yet  still,  like  the  twin  Gtenii  of  the  plain,  do 
they  remain  in  mournful  majesty,  gazing  on 
the  ruined  scenes  around.  Awfully  sublime 
and  imposing  is  their  appearance:  they  recall 
Nebuchadnezzar's  golden  image  to  the  mind, 
whose  height  was  threescore  cubits ;  and  with 
a  very  slight  stretch  of  imagination,  one  could 
fancy  that  the  spirits  of  the  haughty  founders 
of  the  magnificent  temples  around,  raised  to 
the  honour  of  false  gods,  are  doomed,  for  a 
punishment,  to  remain  spell-bound  upon  these 
plains,  to  witness  these  proud  fanes  crumble 
into  the  dust,  and  to  heit^ 

**  Aghast,  the  voice  of  time,  disparting  structures, 
Tumbling  all  precipitate,  down  dashed. 
Rattling  around,  loud  thundering  to  the  moon. 
While  murmurs  soothe  each  awful  interval 
Of  ever  flowing  water." 


STATl'E  or  MEMNdN.  205 

Thej-  are  facing  the  East,  and  tradition 
states,  tliat  the  figure  termed  Memnon,  Tam- 
my, or  Salamat,  was  wont  to  pay  )iis  homage 
to  the  God  of  Day  by  a  strain  of  melancholy 
music  issuing  from  him  on  the  first  appearance 
of  the  sun.  The  pedestal  is  covered  with  the 
names  of  persons  who  testify  that  they  heard 
this  miraculous  hannony.  This  statue  was 
thrown  down  by  Cambyses,  but  was  subse- 
quently built  up,  and  by  an  inscription  lately 
deciphered,  it  is  ascertained  to  be  tliat  of 
Amenophis,  or  Phamenoth  II.  who  flourished 
1700  years  before  Christ,  and  was  cotemporary 
with  Joseph.  We  were  neither  early  enough  nor 
fortunate  enough  to  hear  the  melody,  but  there 
is  something  so  strikingly  impressive  in  the  in- 
sulated grandeur  of  the  twin  statues,  their  situ- 
ation on  the  plain  is  so  grand,  and  the  scenes 
around  so  fine,  that  I  can  fancy  a  highly- 
wrought  enthusiast  might  easily  give  himself 
up  to  the  delusion,  and  that  imagination  must 
be  cold  indeed,  that  could  be  unmoved  at  the 
feet  of  Memnon.  In  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood lies  a  colossat statue,  biting  the  dust; 
— in  the  background  are  tlie  Temples  of  Medi- 
net  Abou,  and  the  Meinnonium  ;— afar  off  are 
the  excavated  and  pei-forated  Mountains,  con- 
taining the  Tombs  of  the  Kings;^in  the  front 
rolls  the  Nile,  beyond  which  are  Luxor  and 


206 


CURIOSITIES  DISCOVEHED  IN  THE 


Camac,  with  the  range  of  hills  behind: — sur- 
rounded with  such  prodigies,  which  have  lasted 
so  many  centuries,  what  ephemera  did  man 
appear;  and  yet  they  were  the  work  of  our 
fellow-mortals ! 

We  had  now  been  up  for  several  hours, 
and  the  sun  was  become  intensely  hot;  we 
had  been  wandering  among  these  interesting 
scenes  so  long,  that  at  length  I  became  quite 
exhausted  with  heat,  fatigue,  exertion,  and 
excitement;  and  the  party  kindly  proposed  ad- 
journing to  the  house  of  a  Greek,  a  ci-devant 
agent  of  Mr.  Salt's,  where  we  might  have  both 
shade  and  shelter  from  the  sun,  and  where  we 
might  obtain  some  repose  and  refreshment. 
Here  we  were  treated  with  some  modern  cof- 
fee and  cakes  to  eat  and  drink,  and  with  some 
ancient  bread  to  look  at,  which  had  just  been 
discovered  in  the  Kings'  Tombs,  and  which 
was  supposed  to  be  not  less  than  three  thou- 
sand years  old !  We  also  saw  some  bows  and 
arrows,  wrapped  in  cloth  of  a  saffron  hue,  and 
of  very  even  texture;  shoes  and  sandals  of  lea- 
ther, made  right  and  left,  and  some  curious 
models  of  boats,  such  as  were  formerly  used  to 
convey  the  dead  across  the  river.  The  figures 
were  well  done,  about  six  inches  high,  and  the 
mummy-corjise  laid  out  exactly  as  is  repre- 
sented in  the  paintings  in  the  tombs.     There 


TtiMBS  Ul    Tin;  KINfiS 


207 


was  also  a  granary,  where  was  a  ladder,  with  a 
man  above  in  the  loft,  and  a  woman  grinding 
corn  beneath.  Had  we  seen  these  in  Regent- 
street,  we  should  have  imagined  them  to  have 
been  the  workmanship  of  Dutch  toymen,  just 
imported,  from  their  very  fresh  and  perfect 
appearance ;  but  tlicse  were  the  performances 
of  Egyptian  artists  some  thousand  years  ago ! 
We  likewise  saw  a  curious  and  low  old-fash- 
ioned European-looking  chair,  such  as  may  be 
still  frequently  seen  in  nurseries  in  England. 
Such,  perchance,  were  used  in  the  court  of  King 
Sesostris;  and  perhaps  this  identical  one  might 
have  had  the  honour  of  supporting  the  weight 
of  an  Egyptian  Monarch.  Grinning  gliastlily 
and  horribly  around,  "  revisiting  the  glimpses 
of  the  moon"  in  their  fleshly  forms,  were  raiiged 
several  mummies,  their  countenances  uncover- 
ed, and  their  features  disclosed  to  ^'ieiv.  They 
were  erect,  and  standing  against  the  wall.  I 
passed  close  to  them,  and  ere  I  had  perceived 
in  what  neighbourhood  I  was,  I  had  almost 
touched  them.  A  sickening  and  a  loathing 
sensation  came  over  me,  at  being  thus  sur- 
rounded with  the  dead.     Yet, 

"  These  linve  walk'il  about,  how  strange  n  story  I 
In  Thebes'a  streets,  sonic  ihousiind  years  ago. 
When  ihe  Memnonium  was  in  all  its  glory. 

How  did  we  long  to  prevail  upon  one  of  them 


208 


MUMMY-SEEKEUS. 


to  unfold  the  secrets  of  their  prison-house, 
and  how  mucli  information  might  we  have 
derived  from  tlie  least,  the  meanest  of  these 
poor  creatures,  whom  we  cannot  allow  to  re- 
main quietly  in  his  grave,  had  he  vouchsafed 
to  speak ;  yet  how  terrified  should  we  have 
been,  had  one  of  these  iack-lustre  eyes  but 
rolled  in  its  orb,  or  opened  its  leathern  jaws! 
It  is  said,  the  Egyptians  had  a  tradition  that 
they  were  to  rise  again  at  the  end  of  three 
thousand  years,  but  it  may  be  presumed 
they  anticipated  a  more  glorious  resurrection 
from  the  grave  than  the  being  thus  ignomi- 
niously  torn  from  their  tombs,  and  exposed 
and  examined  in  a  manner  so  revolting  to 
humanity,  to  satisfy  the  curiosity  of  the  tra- 
veller. For  my  part,  I  see  little  difference 
between  the  resurrection-men  in  London,  who 
steal  the  bodies  of  the  dead  for  the  purposes  of 
science,  and  the  mummy-seekers  in  Egypt, 
who  exhume  them  for  curiosity.  Why  are 
not  the  corporeal  frames  of  the  ancient  Egyp- 
tians to  be  considered  as  sacred  as  those  of 
Europeans  ?  And  why  should  not  those  who 
disinter  the  Egyptians  expect  to  be  haunted 
by  the  ghosts  of  Amenophis  or  Rameses  of 
Thebes,  as  soon  as  by  those  of  Mr.  Smith  and 
Mr.  Johnson  of  London  ?  Most  of  these 
mummies  were  wrapt  in  cloth  of  a  saffron  hue, 


ron  hue,  .^^J 


BREAKFAST  WITH  MR.  HAY. 


209 


and  a  quantity  of  it,  their  former  habiliments, 
was  scattered  about,  but  we  were  so  pressed  for 
time  that  we  could  spare  but  Httle  for  the  in- 
vestigation of  objects  so  curious  and  so  interest- 
ing: and,  oh!  how  did  we  wish  for  some  of 
those  hours  of  frivolity  and  ennui,  w)iich,  from 
the  conventional  forms  of  society,  are  neces- 
sarily often  spent  in  civilized  company,  to 
devote  t,o  the  wonders  that  surrounded  us ;  but 
we  saw  so  much  in  so  short  a  period,  that 
neither  my  physical  nor  my  mental  powers 
were  competent  to  appreciate  properly  all  I 
beheld.  In  comparison  with  what  we  had  just 
viewed,  Pompeii  appeared  modern,  and  breiid 
out  of  the  Tomb  of  King  Sesostris  made  that 
in  the  Italian  ovens  of  no  curiosity. 

We   breakfasted    witli    Mr.  Hay  and    Mr. 

IBonomi  in  their  tent,  and  were  favoured  by 
them  with  a  sight  of  some  very  spirited  and 
correct  sketches  of  the  paintings  and  sculp- 
ture on  the  diflFerent  temples,  particularly  those 
lately  discovered  by  tliemselves,  and  which  I 
imagine  and  believe  will  one  day  be  given  to 
the  public.  After  which,  the  thermometer  be- 
ing at  105°,  you  may  conceive  I  was  not  sorry 
to  He  down  upon  my  couch,  being  half  dead 
with  fatigue,  for  it  was  then  near  noon,  and 
we  had  been  in  constant  exertion  of  body  and 
mind  ever  since  daybreak. 
VOL.    1.  1' 


LETTER  XXIV. 

Keun^. — Preparations  for  the  Desert. — Temple  of  Dendera.— 
Specimen  of  Egyptian  Deceit. 

Having  struck  the  main-sail  of  our  Cangisi! 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  22nd  of  May,  we  beg^l 
to    descend    the   river,   and   falling  down 
stream,    we    reached    Kenn6   in    the   evening*! 
This  place  appears  to  be  of  some  degree 
consequence,    from     the    circumstance    of    iti 
situation.     All  the  caravans  bound  for  Meca 
from  this  part  of  Africa,  necessarily  pass  by  it, 
and   there  is    a  considerable    manufacture    of 
earthenware.    Indeed,  such  immense  quantities 
of  the  fragments  are  everywhere  to  be  seen, 
that  there  are  numerous  hillocks,  resembling 
the  Monte  Testaceo  at  Rome,  formed  in  conse- 
quence.    The  banks  were  at  this  time  covered 
with  the  encampments  of  the  caravans  of  Mog- 
grebyn  Hadjes,  and  a  noise  of  rude  merriment 
and  native  music  floating  on  the  air,  induced 

C to  turn  his  steps  in  that  direction,  but 

he  returned  quite  disgusted  with  the  exhibi- 
tion  of  Almahs,  or  dancing  girls,  which   he  _ 
had  been  witness  to,  which,  however. 


T,  he  said^^H 


VISIT  TIIF.  CACHKFF  OF  KENNE. 


211 


seemed  to  create  great  amusement  and  delight 
among  the  spectators. 

On  tlie  following  morning  (May  23rd,)  C 

paid  a  visit  to  the  CachefFof  Kenn^,  Ibrim  by 
name,  and  a  Greek  by  birtii.  He  found  him 
in  a  more  than  usually  respectable  Divan,  en- 
gaged in  looking  out  of  the  window  at  his 
horses,  which  were  training  for  the  parade. 
Sheik  Hoseyn  and  his  son,  native  merchants, 
then  came  down  to  our  Cangia,  and  breakfasted 
with  us  in  the  European  style,  apparently 
much  delighted  with  all  tliey  saw,  and  de- 
claring every  thing  was  "  tayeb,  tayeb,"  good, 
good.  They  brought  me  a  present  of  some 
preserved  dates  from  the  ladies  of  their  Harani, 
wliich  galanterie  I  returned  by  sending  them 
by  Giovanni  some  silk  handkerchiefs.  Sheik 
Hoseyn  undertook  to  transact  every  thing  for 
us  in  the  marketing  way,  to  procure  provi- 
sions for  our  campaign  in  the  Desert,  and  the 
day  was  devoted  to  laying  in  water  and  other 
stores.  The  water  of  the  Nile  is  probably  su- 
perior to  that  of  any  other  river  in  the  world, 
after  having  been  purified, — (which  is  necessary 
before  it  is  taken,)  by  filtration  through  a  paste 
of  almonds,  in  a  porous  jar,  and  standing  for 
'  some  hours.  Before  this,  it  is  dark,  and  full  of 
sediment,  but  it  then  becomes  beautifully  clear 
PS 


212 


TEMPLE  OF  DENDERA. 


and  transparent.  These  precautions  were  not 
taken,  and  we  suffered  severely  in  consequence, 
as  the  stock  of  water  laid  in,  in  mussuks  or 
skins,  to  last  till  we  reached  Djidda,  proved  to 
be  so  bad  that  we  could  scarcely  use  it.  This  was 
the  fault  of  our  attendants,  as  the  Nile  water 
generally  keeps  good  for  an  immense  length  of 
time :  probably  ours  would  have  been  better 
had  it  been  bottled,  after  having  been  properly 
filtrated,  which  unfortunately  was  not  done. 

In  the  evening  we  fell  down  the  river,  and 
crossed  over  to  the  opposite  side  to  see  the 
Temple  of  Dendera,  the  ancient  Tentyra.  The 
village  is  prettily  situated,  about  a  mile  from 
the  river  :  here  we  procured  a  guide,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  the  Temple,  which  is  considerably 
disfigured  by  the  vwdern  ruins  about  it.  We 
passed  tlirough  a  Propylon,  covered  with  sculp- 
ture, of  which  one  enormous  stone  had  fallen 
from  the  top,  as  if  to  sliow  the  traveller  a 
specimen  of  the  ponderous  dimensions  of  those 
^vith  which  the  edifice  is  constructed.  AVe 
then  entered  tlie  Dromos,  or  area,  and  in  front 
of  the  Temple  we  saw  six  fine  columns,  or 
pilasters,  and  a  magnificent  Pronaos,  or  portico, 
supported  by  eighteen  majestic  pillars,  entirely 
covered  with  superb  sculpture  and  paintings. 
This  is  in  the  highest  state  of  preservation,  as 
are  the  Temple  and  iimer  apartments,  though 


TEMPLE  OF  DENDERA. 


213 


these  last  are  almost  choaked  up  with  dust  and 
rubbish. 

The  walls  are  also  literally  covered  with 
magnificent  sculpture  and  paintings,  and  upon 
the  ceiling  are  tlie  figures  which  the  French 
erroneously  supposed  to  have  represented  the 
Zodiac,  which  idea  was  more  fanciful  than  cor- 
rect. The  bats  flew  about  us  in  numbers, 
raismg  a  most  disagreeable  dust,  so  offensive  to 
our  olfactory  nerves,  that  after  passing  tlirough 
a  low  aperture,  and  up  a  dark  and  narrow 
staircase,  the  walls  of  which  were  covered 
with  sculpture  of  a  somewhat  inferior  descrip- 
tjoD,  we  were  glad  to  emerge  into  fresh  air, 
and  to  find  ourselves  upon  tlie  roof  of  the 
Temple,  wliere,  to  our  great  surprise,  we  dis- 
covered the  ruins  of  a  modern  town,  in  a  far 
more  dilapidated  state  than  the  antique  edifice 
upon  which  it  was  founded.  Here  we  in  vain 
searched  for  the  famous  circular  Zodiac,  which, 
by  the  descriptions  of  the  Temple  we  had  read, 
we  were  aware  must  be  in  this  neighbourhood; 
but  after  a  great  number  of  pantomimic  signs 
had  passed  between  us,  the  Arab  guide  made 
us  understand  it  had  been  taken  away,  and 
this  we  subsequently  found  was  positively 
the  case,  a  Frenchman  having  carried  it  off 
to  Cairo !  What  a  Goth  !  to  dismantle  this 
majestic  building  for  tlie  purpose,  in  d    man- 


214  TEMPLE  OF  DENDEIIA. 

ner  more  rude  than  even  the  Turks  them-l 
selves !  We,  however,  saw  the  spot  where—: 
alas  !  that  I  should  say — it  had  been.  The  ex- 
terior of  this  noble  Temple  has  been  somewhat 
injured  by  cx|>osure  to  the  air  and  dust,  but 
the  sculpture  with  which  the  walls  are  covered 
is  still  very  visible.  We  likewise  saw  large  Hons' 
heads  projecting,  like  conduit  pipes,  to  carry  off 
the  water.  Behind  is  a  smaller  temple,  complel 
ly  covered  with  figures,  with  a  narrow  darfc' 
gallery  round  two  sides,  where  the  bats  were: 
reigning  sole  occupiers.  On  the  right  hand  of' 
the  Propylon  by  which  we  entered,  and  in  the 
interior  of  the  court,  is  a  small  temple,  termed 
by  Strabo  the  Tymphonium,  wonderfully  per- 
fect, with  a  portico,  interior  Sanctum  Sanct<K' 
rum,  and  the  remains  of  something  like  an< 
altar,  or  idol.  A  gallery,  imbedded  in  the  sani 
part  of  which  had  lately  been  excavated,  a] 
peared  to  run  round  the  whole ;  this  is  support- 
ed  by  superb  pillars,  two  of  which  only  are 
visible,  and  of  these  but  little  more  than  their 

magnificent  lotus  capitals.    C observed  that 

the  figures  in  the  Temple  closely  resembled 
those  he  had  se«n  in  India,  and  in  fact  it  was 
here  that  the  Sepoys,  when  brought  into  Egypt, 
prostrated  themselves  in  adoration,  thinking 
they  saw  their  own  deities  before  them:  a 
curious  circumstance,   which   proves    there   is 


ed 

M 


TEMPLE  OF  DENDEHA.  215 

strong  affinity  between  the  worship  of  the 
ancient  Egyptians,  and  that  of  the  modern 
Hindoos.  On  this  Propylon  are  evident 
marks  of  attempts  having  been  made  forcibly 
to  extract  a  stone,  wliich  however,  fortunately, 
have  proved  unsuccessful :  the  adjacent  parts 
have  been  sadly  defaced,  which  evinces  that 
these  noble  edifices  suffer  more  from  the  modem 
Goths  and  A'andals  who  affect  to  admire  them, 
than  from  the  devastations  of  time.  At  a 
little  distance  from  the  Temple  are  another 
Propylon,  and  half  a  dozen  detached  columns, 
apparently  of  later  construction.  The  view 
from  hence  is  striking  and  singular,  from 
the  contrast  and  the  variety  it  presents;  on 
one  side  is  a  desolate  and  barren  desert,  ex- 
tending to  the  foot  of  the  mountains ;  on  the 
other,  a  rich  and  fertile  plain,  reaching  down 
to  the  banks  of  the  river,  beyond  which 
appears  a  chain  of  hills,  which  at  this  time 
were  tinged  with  the  roseate  hues  of  the  set- 
ting sun.  This  Temple  is  said  to  be  more 
modem  than  those  of  Thebes,  and  there  is  a 
peculiar  massiveness  in  its  appearance,  which 
though  it  takes  off  from  the  elegance,  adds  to 
the  grandeur  of  the  whole.  It  seems  calcu- 
lated to  defy  the  attacks  of  time;  and  when 
we  subsequently  saw  the  excavated  Caves 
of    Elephanta,    we    were    strongly    reminded 


4 
I 


216  EGYPTIAN  DECEIT. 

of  the  style  of  architecture  in  the  Temple  ci 
Dendera. 

As  we  returned  to  our  Cangia,  a  venerable 
old  man,  with  a  white  beard  sweeping  his 
breast,  accosted  us,  and  offered  us  some  coins, 
and  a  curious  old  lamp  for  sale,  which  latter  he 
valued  at  a  piastre  and  a  half ;  but  we  had 
here  a  specimen  of  Egyptian  deceitfulness  and 
cunning,  for  no  sooner  had  we  agreed  to  take 
it  at  this  price,  than  he  immediately  raised  it 
to  two  piastres,  and  when  we  had  consented 
to  this,  he  said  he  must  have  still  mcxre ;  upon 
which,  disgusted  with  his  extortion,  we  left 
him  without  our  lamp.  Upon  reaching  Keimh 
we  found  there  were  great  rejoicings  there, 
and  firing  in  honour  of  the  taking  of  Misso- 
longhi. 


LETTER  XXV. 

Camseen. — Walk  by  the  Nile. — Caravans  of  Moggrebyn 
Hadjes. — Preparations  for  departure. — Inopportune  visit 
of  the  Cacheff  of  Kenne. 

On  the  following  day,  C repeated  his 

visit  to  the  Cacheff,  to  request  he  would  ex- 
pedite   our    departure,    and    as   he  went    en 


I 


CAMSEEN.  217 

mUitmre,     he    experienced    a    most    gracious 
reception. 

To  our  great  dismay,  instead  of  the  clear 
horizon  of  yesterday,  clouds  of  sand,  of  a  lurid 
hue,  now  hung  over  the  Desert — that  desert 
upon  which  we  were  about  to  venture!  The 
sultry  and  oppressive  Camscen  began  to  rise ; 
the  atmosphere  became  of  a  purplish  colour; 
sudden  gusts  of  wind  fitfully  blew,  and  instan- 
taneously raised  dense,  but  moving  columns  of 
dust,  whirled  them  round  and  round  in  a  most 
appalling  manner,  then  gradually  subsiding,  a 
hillock,  newly  formed  upon  the  level  surface  of 
the  plain,  marked  where  this,  in  India  empha- 
tically termed  Devi!,  had  been  exerting  his 
odious  power,  lly  heart  sickened  within  me, 
at  the  idea  of  meeting  the  Simoon,  or  Samiel, 
in  the  Desert ;  and  I  thought  of  Volney's  ob- 
servation, "  Woe  to  the  traveller  whom  this 
wind  surprises  remote  from  shelter !  he  must 
sufier  all  the  dreadfid  consequences,  wliich 
sometimes  are  mortal."  Such,  I  feared,  might 
be  our  fate,  were  we  there  to  encounter  this 
poisonous  blast,  upon  which  the  demon  of  de- 
truction  loves  to  ride,  appalling  all  nature  with 
his  fiery  breath, — this  pestilential  wind,  that 
not  mifrequently  overwhelms  immense  cara- 
vans, and  by  whose  power  whole  armies  have 
been  destroyed,  for  many  attribute  the  loss  of 


REFLECTIONS  ON  THE 

those  of  Cambyses  and    Sennacherib   to   the 
sultry  Samiel  or  Camseen. 

Our  camels,  of  which  we  had  hired  between 
twenty  and  thirty,  began  to  arrive  in  detached 
parties,  and  lay  sprawling  about  in  the  sun  and 
in  the  dust,  apparently  delighting  in  both. 
Dusky  were  the  forms,  and  sooty  the  faces 
of  their  attendants,  who  were  seen  glancing 
about  in  every  direction,  tlad  in  the  loose  blue 
Arab  dress,  or  with  a  simple  piece  of  cloth 
carelessly  wrapped  round  them.  In  the  even- 
ing, the  force  of  the  wind  having  abated,  we 
emerged  from  our  cabin  to  take  our  farewell 
ramble  upon  the  banks  of  old  Father  Nile-  • 
that  noble  river,  which  disdaining  to  be  viewed 
but  in  full  majesty,  shrouds  his  infant  stream 
in  obscurity,  and  bursts  upon  the  sight  in  full 
strength  and  vigour.fertilizingthose  plains  which 
without  his  beneficial  waters  would  be  an  arid 
tract  of  desert  land.  Like  the  stately  edifices 
that  adorn  his  banks,  his  origin  and  source,  if  not 
totally  unknown,  are  at  best  but  dubious ;  and 
from  the  mystery  in  which  they  are  involved, 
perhaps  an  additional  degree  of  sublimity  is 
imparted ;  for  the  imagination  left  unshackled 
by  time  and  place,  is  free  to  range  in  distant 
ages  and  unknown  regions.  How  many  inte. 
resting  reminiscences  are  connected  with  "  the 
Nile !"     By  its  waters  have  wandered  the  steps 


4 


BANKS  OF  THE  NILE. 


219 


of  the  Patriarchs  Ahraham,  Joseph,  and  Moses, 
and  it  has  heeii  the  witness  and  the  subject  of 
the  numerous  miracles  which  were  wrought 
when  "  the  Lord  hardened  Pharaoh's  heart." 
Upon  its  banks,  "  the  serpent  of  old  Nile,"  the 
witching  gipsey  Cleopatra,  kept  her  luxuriant 
and  fantastic  revelries,  holding  the  Kings  and 
conquerors  of  the  earth  aye  subject  to  her 
beck  and  nod.  Still  onwards  flows  the  majestic 
stream,  undisturbed  by  the  fliglit  of  lime,  the 
ruin  of  dynasties,  and  the  fall  of  empires,  though 
Persian,  Grecian,  Roman,  Saracenic,  and  Turk- 
ish potentates  have,  in  turn,  held  sway  over 
the  devoted  land,  on  which  the  awful  voice  of 
prophecy  has  uttered  such  dreadful  denuncia- 
tions of  woe  and  vengeance.  From  Dendera, 
whose  massive  Temple  lies  choked  in  sand,  even 
unto  Thebes,  the  city  of  a  hundred  gates,  did 
we  view  the  meanderings  of  the  Nile.  Afar 
off  appeared,  like  a  mighty  fortress,  the  moun- 
tain within  whose  bowels  lay  many  a  crowned 
head,  who,  when  alive, 

"  Kept  the  world  awake 
With  lujlre  and  with  noiae." 


In  another  direction,  an  arid  and  sandy  tract 
marked  our  vicinity  to  that  desert  of  which 
Bruce  has  given  so  interesting  an  account ; 
where  dwells  want,  and  rapine,  and  violence  ; 


where  range  the  wandering  Bedouin,  and  the 
rapacious  Arab.  Beneath  the  bank  were  moor- 
ed numerous  Cangias  and  IVIaashes,  and  on  the  ■ 
plain  were  dispersed  caravans  of  Moggrebyn 
Hadjes,  and  detached  parties  of  Arabs.  Their 
tom-toms  beat  a  wild  and  discordant  sound, 
and  gleaming  fires  and  glimmering  lights  dis- 
closed and  threw  into  bold  relief  wild  and 
dusky  forms  preparing  and  devouring  their 
evening  repast.  Occasionally  might  be  seen 
athwart  the  gloom,  emerging  from  the  obscurity 
of  the  distant  desert,  a  solitary  pilgrim,  whose 
way-worn  appearance  and  tattered  robe  spoke 
of  a  long  and  weary  journey.  He  was  a  Hadje, 
a  holy  man,  who  had  visited  the  sacred  shrine 
at  Mecca,  and  his  sins  were  forgiven !  AVith 
an  air  of  confidence  he  entered  the  first  tent, 
from  his  sanctified  character,  and  from  the  well- 
known  hospitality  of  the  Bedouin,  secure  of  a 
welcome,  and  of  a  friendly  reception.  Of  an 
ample  bernouse,  which  had  seen  better  days, 
was  his  attire  generally  composed,  whilst  on  his 
head  he  wore,  not  the  green  turban,  but  a  ve- 
nerable, high-crowned,  conical  hat  of  straw,  ex- 
actly resembling  those  with  which  our  witches 
are  usually  depicted ;  admirably  adapted  to 
keep  the  sun  from  the  head,  whilst  its  broad 
brim  was  well  calculated  to  shelter  the  face 
from  its  ardent  rays.    By  degrees  the  fires  were 


I 

I 


PREPAILATIONS  FOR  T(1E  DESERT,  221 

extinguished,  the  tom-toms  no  longer  were 
heard,  the  roaring  of  camels  had  ceased,  the  wild 
cries  of  the  drivers  were  hushed,  "  Nature  in 
silence  bade  the  world  repose,"  and  wc,  too,  re- 
tired to  our  Cangia,  where,  from  being  moored 
under  the  lee  of  a  sand-baiik,  we  were  all  night 
sadly  tormented  by  musquitos  and  Siind-flies. 

On  the  following  morning.  May  2(ith,  we 
rose  at  break  of  day,  hoping  we  should  be  able 
to  commence  our  journey  ere  the  heat  of 
day  had  set  in.  The  fiery  blast  of  the  Camseen, 
however,  still  blew,  though  with  abated  force ; 
but  though  our  cabin  was  stripped  of  all  its 
comforts,  and  our  things  were  placed  ready  to 
be  packed  upon  the  banks,  there  they  remained 
till  noon,  for  though  we  were  ready,  the  camels 
and  drivers  were  not.  During  the  oppressive 
meridian  heat,  bitterly  did  1  feel  the  want  of 
my  couch,  but  I  constded  myself  with  the 
Janissary  Selim's  sage  observation  upon  a 
similar  occasion,  that  "  tlie  pains  of  the  body 
are  soon  forgotten."  Our  Reis  took  up  his 
station  opposite  the  cabin-door,  showing  his 
white  teeth  and  smiling  most  fantastically, 
quite  in  the  Malvolio  style,  intending  to  look 
quite  captivating  ;  and  whenever  he  caught  my 
eye,  out  came  "  bucksheesh,"  for  he  appeared 
to  have  great  faith  in  the  powers  of  female 
persuasion,  and  generally  when  he  wished  to 


222 


PltEPAKATIONS  FOR  THE  DESEHT. 


carry  a  point  with  C ,  he  endeavoured  to 

avail  himself  of  my  supposed  influence.  Seyd 
Hoseyn  and  his  son,  attentive  to  their  own 
interest,  also  put  in  their  claims  for  "  buck- 
sheesh ;"  our  umbrellas,  our  knives  and  forks,  our 
spoons,  nothing  was  too  high  or  too  low  for 
their  desires.  The  sailors  also  screamed  out 
"  bucksheesh,"  and  so  often  was  the  cry  repeat- 
ed, that  it  might  well  have  been  termed  "  the 
day  of  bucksheesh.'' 

It  would  be  diflRciilt  to  give  you  an  idea  of 
the  confusion  tiiat  reigned  around,  both  in  our 
Cangia  and  on  shore.  Arabs  were  running 
in  every  direction,  shouting,  screaming,  and 
scolding  most  vociferously  ; — The  camels  bel- 
lowed and  roared— Sometimes  a  peculiarly 
pious  one,  just  after  he  was  loaded,  tired  of 
this  worldly  din  and  uproar,  woiddset  off  upon 
the  Hadje  by  himself; — whilst  his  driver  was 
scampering  after  him — lo,  and  behold, —another 
of  a  more  idle  disposition  seeking  to  evade 
the  journey  altogetlier,  trotted  off  in  another 
direction.  No  order  or  method  appeared,  but 
with  the  most  complete  Mahometan  indif- 
ference and  predestinarianism,  every  thing  was 
left  to  take  care  of  itself; — it  seemed  i 
sible  that  we  could  ever  be  ready;  —  I  was  in 
despair,  our  servants  looked  dismayed,  whilst 
C used  his   utmost  powers  of  persuasion 


VISIT  OF  THE  CACHEFr  OF  KENNE, 


223 


and  argument,  to  induce    them   to  expedite 
matters. 

In  the  midst  of  all  this  disorder,  a  more  than 
usual  bustle  announced  tliat  something  extraor- 
dinary was  about  to  occur,  and  the  appearance 
of  a  splendid  train  announced  the  approach  of 
the  Cacheffof  Kenn^,  who  had  taken  this  most 
inopportune  time  to  pay  us  a  visit:  I  was  so 
completely  knocked  up,  that  I  did  not  feel 
equal  to  receiving  him,  and  I  therefore  vanish- 
ed into  the  interior  cabin,  though  from  the 
many  inquisitive  glances  he  cast  upon  the  door, 
1  suspect  his  visit  was  intended  as  much  for  the 
lady  as  to  the  gentleman.  The  Arab  boats,  as 
well  as  houses,  are  admirably  adapted  to  peeping 
and  listening,  as  the  readers  of  the  Arabian 
Nights  will  probably  remember;  and  as  I  was 
not  likely  ever  to  see  the  Cacheff  of  Kenn^ 
again,  1  was  positively  vulgar  enougli  to  follow 
the  example  of  the  Caliph  Haroun  Alrasched, 
who  was  so  extremely  fond  of  peering  about, 
and  through  a  huge  fissure  I  very  leisurely  con- 
templated a  grave,  good-looking  young  man, 
with  a  dignified  and  imposing  appearance, 
handsomely  clad  in  the  Turkish  costume,  with 
the  graceful  Arab  bernouse  thrown  over  all  as 
a  surtout.  Coflfee  was  offered,  but  he  took 
brandy -and-water  in  preference,  which  he 
seemed  to  like  so  well  that  he  at  last  drank  the 


224  VISIT  OF  THE  CACHEFF  OF  KENNE. 

spirit  in  a  pure  and  unadulterated  state,  and  i 

made  such  large  potations,  that  C prudent-  | 

ly  abstained  from  pressing  it  upon  him,  for  fear  I 
of  consequences.     Whilst  I  was  gazing  at  the 
CachefF,  to  my  great  surprise,  I  found  1  was 
the  object  of  equal  curiosity  to  his  attendants.  J 
I  was  without  my  veil,  and  the  cabin-windows  j 
being  all  open,  I  was  distinctly  visible  to  theiu  f 
on  the  banks  where  they  were  standing,  and 
they  were  all  staring  at  me  with  the  utmost  ' 
earnestness,  though   without  the  shghtest  ap-  * 
pearance  of  impertinence  ;  however,  as  I  could 
not  brook  the  eyes  of  such  a  multitude,  I  im- 
mediately closed  the  casement. 

At  length  the  Cacheff  took  his  departure; 
at  the  suggestion  of  his  suite,  he  too  immedi-  I 
ately  repaired   to  the   spot   where    they  were  j 
seated,  as   if  he   wished    to    have   a    sight    of  I 
the  wonderful  wliite-faced  female, — but  I  had  ] 
taken  care  to  be  invisible.     An  Arab  then  took 
him  up  in  his  arms  and  conveyed  him  over  a  small 
stream,  and  he  repaired  to  his  Cangia,  which, 
with  several  others,  was  waiting  for  him,  the  i 
whole  of  which  were  most  handsomely  equip-  ] 
ped  and   appointed  ;  his,  in    particular,  being  ] 
covered    with    crimson    cloth,  and    his   rowers  I 
clad    in    the    most    splendid    and    magnificent 
dresses ;  the  gorgeous  pageantry  of  the  whole 
far  exceeding   in    magnificence   any   tbiog   I 


EGYPTIAN  TAKHTllOUAN.  225 

ever  saw  at  the  Opera.  His  attendants  tarried 
behind  a  few  minutes  to  ask  for  "buckshcesh:" 
six  piastres  had  we  to  pay  for  this  visit!  The 
great  man  then  carried  off  every  body  in  his 
wake  ;  they  all  went  to  see  tlie  sliow.  At  last 
a  gun  fired — he  was  fairly  off — the  Cangia  set 
sail,  Seyd  Hoseyn  and  the  Arabs  returned,  and 
we  had  hopes  that  our  business  would  be  ulti- 
mately attended  to. 

Ii*  Trfkhlrouan,  or  Native  UlUr.— Village  of  Sheraffa,— Ababd^ 
I  Dandy. — Tombs. —  Camels  al  their  supper.— Garden. — 

I  Tomb  of  ihe  Sultan's  Son. 


LETTER  XXVI. 


It  was  full  3  p.m.  before  there  was  any 
prospect  of  our  setting  off,  and  my  courage  was 
not  a  little  daimted  by  being  told  that  "  the 
camels  did  not  like  the  Taklitrouan."  This 
was  a  native  litter  we  had  purchased  at  Cairo, 
for  forty-five  dollars,  as  the  best  and  safest 
conveyance   for  me   to   cross    the  Desert,    re- 

Ieembling,  I  do  imagine,  the  cage  in  which 
Tamerlane  carried  Bajazet  about  with  him. 
The  body  of  it  was  about  six  feet  long,  and 
three  broad,  composed  of  a  curiously  heavy, 
painted  open  wood-work,  something  like  the 
VOL.    1.  Q 


226  EnvPTIAN  TAKHTROUAN. 

Mameluke  windows ;  and  in  this  I  lay  as  in  a 
palanquin,  which  it  a  little  resembled.  This 
was  placed  upon  sliafts,  and  carried  by  camels, 
one  going  in  front,  the  other  behind,  as  in  a  se- 
dan-chair; the  latter  having  its  head  tied  down, 
in  order  that  it  might  see  where  it  stepped;  and 
when  they  were  in  harness,  it  was  raised  nearly 
six  feet  from  the  ground.  Strange-looking  crea- 
tures are  camels  to  an  English  eye,  and  a  fear- 
ful noise  do  they  make  to  an  English  ear ;  tliey 
stretch  out  their  long  necks  one  way,  and  they 
poke  them  out  anotlier,  and  there  is  no  know- 
ing where  one  is  safe  from  them  ;  and  I  was  to 
mount  a  litter  conveyed  by  these  singular  pro- 
ductions of  Nature,  probably  the  first  and  only 
Englishwoman  that  ever  ventured  in  a  native 
Egyptian  Takhtrouan !  My  heart  failed  me 
terribly  at  this  instant,  I  cannot  but  confess, 
and  I  was  nervously  alarmed  at  the  sight  of 
my  unwieldy  vehicle.     However, 

"  '  Come  it  slow,  or  come  it  fast. 

It  is  but  death  that  comes  at  last,' 

thought  I,  as  1  sallied  forth  to  ascend  my 
Takhtrouan.  There  were  no  steps,  and  we  had 
neglected  to  take  the  precaution  of  bringing 
a  ladder.  What  was  to  be  done  ?  Whilst  I 
was  hesitating,  an  Arab  crouched  down  at  my 
feet,  and   offered   his    back    for   my   footstool. 


EGVPTIAN  TAKHTIUIUAN, 


227 


I 


Was  it  not  tbe  Emperor  Valerian  by  whom  the 
cruel  Sapor  was  wont  to  ascend  his  horse  in  a 
similar  manner?  I  thought  of  him,  as  in  this 
conquering  style  I  entered  my  Takhtrouaii. 
Tiie  motion  was  very  unpleasant  at  first,  and 
what  with  my  fear  and  fatigue,  1  had  a  sen- 
sation of  sickness,  almost  to  fainting,  come 
over  me ;  however,  I  supported  it  as  well  as 
I  could,  and  you  cannot  conceive  how  very 
strange  were  my  sensations  when  I  found  my- 
self enclosed  in  a  wooden  cage,  surrounded  by 

wild  Arabs,  about  to  enter  the  Desert !     C 

rode  by  my  side  upon  a  camel :  at  first  he 
thought  its  movements  were  rough,  but  he 
ultimately  preferred  them  to  those  of  a  horse. 
The  getting  on  and  off  is  somewhat  dangerous 
to  those  unaccustomed  to  it,  for  the  animal 
first  rising  with  a  spring  behind,  throws  itself 
forward,  then  backwards,  and  then  again  for- 
wards, so  that  it  requires  some  degree  of  skill 
to  preserve  the  equilibrium.  At  his  own  par- 
ticular request,  my  Arab  friend,  who  had  hi- 
therto so  gallantly  devoted  himself  to  my  ser- 
vice, was  installed  as  my  especial  attendant, 
the  Knight  of  the  Takhtrouan  ;  and  he  under- 
took to  guard  me  across  the  Desert,  thus 
securing  to  himself  the  opportunity  of  per- 
forming the  meritorious  Hadje ;  but  in  the 
Desert  of  the  Thebaid  did  I  experience,  that — 
Q  2 


228  DISPUTE  WITH  THE  ARABS. 

"  Men  are  deceivers  ever. 

One  foot  on  land,  and  one  on  sea. 
To  one  thing  constant  never." 

My   Arab  Prince,   as   C termed   him,  j 

proved  a  very  recreant,  "  false  to  his  god  and  to  I 
his  lady  fair."  Scarcely  Iiad  he  performed  lialf  I 
a  mile  of  his  pilgrimage,  ere  his  devotion  melt-  I 
cd,  iiis  gallantry  evaporated,  and  he  comjilain-  I 
cd  that  he  felt  the  sand  hot  to  his  feet.  He,| 
changed  his  mind,  deserted  me,  took  his  buck-^ 
slieesli,  and  returned  to  iiis  amphibious  life  in 
the  Cangia. 

In  about  an  liour  and  a  half's  time  we  came 
to  a  sudden  halt.     Our  Arab  attendants  had 
become  refractory,  and  refused  to  go  on  unless 
their  full  pay  were  advanced  to  them, 
resisted  this  demand,  till  at  length,  as  a  com-  J 
promise,  he  agreed  to  pay  half ;  but  in  conse-  | 
quence  of  this  debate,  it  was  deemed  advisa- 
ble not  to  proceed  farther,  till  we  had  come  | 
to  a  better  understanding,  and  Seyd  Hoseyn  I 
was  sent  for  accordingly ;  for  being  complete- 
ly at  the  mercy  of  our  camel-drivers,  it  was  I 
not  agreeable  to  commence  our  journey  with  aJ 
dispute. 

Whilst  our  tents  were  pitching,  my  Takh^ 
trouan  was  set  down  on  the  ground,  close  to  ' 
the  walls  of  a  builduig,  which  I  subsequently 
found  was  a  tomb,  and  I  amusetl  mysell'  with 


nyseii  witn i 


EGYPTIAN  WOMEN. 


229 


gazing  on  the  motley  scene  around.  We  were 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  village  of  SherafFa,  upon 
the  borders  of  the  Desert.  Beneath  a  neigh- 
bouring tree  a  caravan  of  Moggrebyn  Hadjes 
had  taken  their  station.  An  old  man,  with  a 
mussuk  of  water  upon  his  back,  and  a  tin-pot 
in  his  hand,  went  from  tent  to  tent,  and  from 
caravan  to  caravan,  selling  water  to  the  thirsty 
pilgrims.  An  itinerant  musician,  performing 
on  an  instrument  resembling  a  guitar  with  two 
strings,  drew  forth  far  more  melody  than  could 
have  been  anticipated.  This  he  accompanied 
with  his  voice,  chanting,  or  rather  vociferating, 
a  sort  of  recitative  to  us,  till  the  present  of  a 
piastre  sent  him  to  display  his  powers  of  har- 
mony else%vhere.  I  thought  of  Lalla  Rookh, 
but  no  stretch  of  fancy  could  enable  me  to  con- 
vert him  into  a  Feramorz.  As  the  Takhtrouan 
is  the  conveyance  used  only  by  persons  of  the 
highest  distinction  on  their  pilgrimage  to  Mec- 
ca, mine,  consequently,  attracted  very  consi- 
derable attention ;  and  I  am  convinced  I  was 
taken  for  a  sultaness  or  princess  at  least,  by  the 
curiosity  evinced  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  vil- 
lage to  see  its  contents.  The  women  crowded 
round  my  litter  with  the  utmost  empressemeut, 
and  accosted  me  with  an  air  of  the  greatest 
kindness  and  cordiality.  Tliey  were  attired  in 
the  usual  blue  cotton  vest  of  the  country,  and 


w 

^m  230 


A  FUNEHAL— BLIND  BECCAIi, 


were  ornamented  with  beads;  but  though  they 
seemed  deeply  interested  in  me,  and  well-dis- 
posed to  be  on  the  most  friendly  terms,  our 
intercourse  and  conversation  were  necessarily 
limited  to  their  shaking  and  kissing  my  hand, 
and  to  our  mutually  exclaiming  "  Salamat, 
salamat  — Tybe,  tybe."  Their  manners  were 
most  pleasing  and  courteous,  and  I  could  but 
think  of  Ledyard's  observations  in  praise  of 
our  sex. 

A  funeral  passed  by,  accompanied  with  the 
customary  train  of  attendants,  and  with  the 
usual  lugubrious  cries,  and  loud  and  outrage- 
ous wailings.  The  mourners  stopped  their  la- 
mentations to  gaze  at  my  Takhtrouan,  and  then 
— began  again.     Convenient  grief! 

A  blind  beggar,  conducted  by  a  little  boy, 
came  to  the  door  of  our  tent,  to  solicit  relief. 
He  was  precisely  the  figure-painters  assign  to 
the  unfortunate  Belisarius,  and  I  thouglit  of 
the  ill-starred  General,  as,  with  a  piastre  and 
a  sigh  given  to  his  distress,  he  thankfully 
retired.  If  true  the  tales  narriited  of  Turkish 
oppression,  tyranny,  and  ingratitude,  perad- 
venture  this  poor  man  might  once  have  been 
"  in  fortune's  lap  high  fed,"  though  now 
doomed  to  "  solicit  the  cold  hand  of  charity," 
and  though  now  no  ray  of  light  coidd  ever  re- 


AILUDE  DANDY.  231 

illumine  his  visual  orbs,  which,  vainly  turned 
to  heaven,  were  for  ever  quenched  in  endless 
darkness. 

A  singular,  but  a  strikingly  handsome  figure, 
with  a  commanding  and  martial  air,  attracted 
my  attention ;  the  more  particularly  as  he 
seemed  to  take  myself  and  my  Takhtrouan  un- 
der his  immediate  protection.  The  only  cover- 
ing to  his  manly  and  well-turned  dusky  form, 
was  a  coarse  white  cloth,  thrown  carelessly  but 
gracefully  and  picturesquely  round  him.  His 
features  were  remarkably  fine  and  regular,  and 
his  intelligent  countenance  was  lighted  up  by 
bright  and  wildly -expressive  eyes.  His  coal- 
black  hair  was  frizzled  at  the  top,  and  from 
thence,  parted  with  the  utmost  care,  hung  seve- 
ral hundred  curls,  so  arranged  as  to  fall  in 
clusters  behind  the  ear,  each  individual  ringlet 
being  terminated  in  a  sort  of  tassel ;  through 
the  whole  was  passed  a  wooden  bodkin,  which 
some  authors  are  vulgar  enough  to  imagine  is 
there  placed  to  scratch  the  head  ;  wc  more  cha- 
ritably supposed  it  was  to  dress  the  hair,  in 
case  it  should  he  discomposed.  The  fout  en~ 
gembh  had  so  good  an  effect,  and  was  so  ex- 
tremely becoming,  that  could  Truefitt  or  Wood- 
man dress  heads  in  this  fashion,  I  have  no 
doubt  this  style  would  be  quite  the  rage  among 


232 


ABABDE  DANDY. 


our  Exquisites.  Over  tJie  shoulder  of  my  in- 
cognito hung  a  pouch,  two  swords  were  by  his 
side,  and  in  either  hand  he  carried  a  lance  or 
javelin,  of  strange  and  antique  form.  At  first, 
I  imagined  his  devotion  to  me  was  accidental ; 
but  when  with  an  inconceivably  chivalrous  and 
patronising  air  I  perceived  him  take  up  his  sta- 
tion for  the  niglit  at  the  door  of  my  tent,  like 
Malek  Adhel  at  that  of  Mathilde,  I  thought 
it  time  to  enquire  who  my  self- installed  knight 
was,  who  had  thus  succeeded  to  my  recreant 
hero  of  the  Nile,  and  I  found  he  was  a  Be- 
douin of  the  Ababdfe  tribe  of  Arabs,  who  had 
offered  to  guide  and  escort  us  through  the 
Desert  to  Cosseir ;  and  as  these  wandering  gen- 
try, if  not  allowed  to  defend,  are  very  apt  to 

offend  you,  C ■  had  accepted  his  services; 

thus  paying  a  sort  of  tribute,  or  black  maU,  for 
safety  in  their  domains.  AVe  had  no  cause  to 
repent  our  bargain,  for  our  Ababdfe  proved  a 
true  and  trusty  guide,  and  was  of  a  most 
obliging  and  courteous  disposition. 

AVhen  the  evening  was  closed  in,  we  made 
our  escape  from  the  din  and  clamour  of  the 
caravans,  to  stroll  among  the  neighbouring 
tombs,  which  were  on  the  borders  of,  if  not 
absolutely  in  the  Desert  itself  —  an  immense 
tract  of  land,  covered  with  small  and  by  no 
means  inelegant  edifices   and   cupolas,   which 


A 


BURIAL-GROUND.  233 

latter  were  not  unfreqiiently  overshadowed  by 
a  spreading  tree.  In  Eastern  countries,  the 
cities  of  the  dead  often  exceed  in  pomp  and 
grandeur  the  abodes  of  the  living;  and  be- 
tween a  Turkish  and  an  EngUsh  burial-ground, 
there  is  as  much  difference,  as  between  the  love- 
ly and  serene  evenings  of  Oriental  climes,  and 
our  dark  and  dreary  November  nights.  Every 
thing  that  can  alarm  or  disgust  is  kept  out  of 
sight,  and  there  is  a  sort  of  decent  woe,  of 
luxurious  grief,  very  different  from  either  the 
gloomy  vaults  and  charnel-houses  of  England, 
or  the  petii-maUre  French  foppery  of  Pere  la 
Chaise. 

There  is  "  ample  space  and  room  enough  " 
for  the  tenants  of  tlie  grave,  and  the  arrival  of  a 
new  comer  is  never  the  signal  for  the  ancient 
holder  of  the  tenement  to  turn  out,  as  in  the 
crowded  churcliyards  of  London,  where  every 
spot  of  ground  is  of  value;  this  may  be  one 
reason  why  you  seldom  hear  of  Turkish  gliosis; 
besides,  if  they  wish  to  walk,  they  can  do  so  in 
the  desert,  without  annoyance  to  or  from  their 
neighbours,  which  disembodied  spirits,  "  revi- 
siting the  glimpses  of  the  moon,"  are  apt  to 
cause  in  England,  where  a  ghost  cannot  take 
his  round  without  the  whole  parish  being  up 
in  arms. 

Ijooking  towards  the  Nile,  we  perceived  a 


I 


U  PI  ITU  ALM !  A.— C  AM  ELS. 

dense  fog  hanging  over  its  waters,  of  which, 
when  on  it,  we  had  never  been  conscious ;  but 
perhaps  this  evaporation,  together  with  the 
dusty  winds  and  the  glare,  may  be  among  the 
causes    that   render    ophthalmia   so    general 

complaint  in  Egypt.     C ,  from  being  more  ■ 

exposed  than  myself,  suffered  considerable  in- J 
convenience  with  his  eyes,  but  I  never  expe-  1 
rienced  the  slightest,  as  I  never  went  out  with- 
out a  veil,  which  probably  saved  them  consi-  ! 
derably.  Returning  to  our  tents,  we  stopped  I 
to  see  our  camels  take  their  evening  repast.  I 
They  were  kneeling  in  a  formal  circle,  and  I 
eating  their  supper  with  the  most  profound 
gravity  and  decorum,  imitating  their  masters  | 
both  in  manner  and  style  of  deportment.  The  I 
provisions  were  placed  in  the  centre,  in  the  f 
Turkish  fashion,  to  which  they  helped  them-  j 
selves  with  the  utmost  civility  and  politeness. 

There  is  something  very  sociable  in  the  Ori- 
ental repast,  and  after  the  labours  of  the  day 
were  over,  it  was  pleasant  to  see  our  attendants 
sitting  down  on  the  ground  to  enjoy  theni-  i 
selves,  round  one  common  dish,  into  which  ' 
every  one  plunging  )us  hand,  helped  himself, 
smts  ceremonie,  and,  I  used  to  think,  there  was 
more  heart  in  this  unsophisticated  meal,  th 
in  the  chairs,  table,  knives  and  forks,  and  otl 
etceteras  of  European  civilized  life. 


SEYD  IIOSEYN. 


235 


At  the  door  of  our  tent,  we  found  suspended 
a  sniall  lamp,  sent  by  the  Sheik  of  the  village 
as  a  present.  These  little  marks  of  attention, 
these  gages  d'amitU,  are  very  pleasing,  and  they 
incUne  one  to  feel  well  disposed  to  the  donor. 

Surrounded  by  Turks  and  Arabs,  Moggrebyn 
Hadjes,  camels,  and  camel-drivers,  I  passed  my 
first  night  in  a  tent  upon  the  borders  of  the 
Desert,  but 

"  Far  from  my  heart  was  trembling  fear. 
For  thou,  my  gracious  God,  wast  near ;" 

and  I  slept  as  well,  and  as  soundly,  as  if  we 
had  been  beneath  the  gilded  roof  of  a  stately 
palace. 

On  the  following  morning,  Seyd  Hoseyn 
and  his  son  arrived  early.  They  sat  in  the 
door  of  our  tent,  administered  justice,  and  soon 
brought  our  refractory  camel-drivers  to  an  ami- 
cable accommodation  of  differences.  On  taking 
their  leave,  the  venerable  old  man  approached 
me  with  a  most  insinuating  air,  of  course  I 
thought  to  make  his  parting  compliment. 
"  Buckshecsh,"  whispered  he ;  I  positively  blush- 
ed for  him,  for  I  had  hitherto  considered  him 
as  something  of  a  gentleman;  but  this  spoilt 
all! 

Whilst  breakfast  was  preparing,  we  strolled 
about  in  the  vicinity  of  our  tent,  and  an  old 


■23G  Tt.iRKISn  GARDEN.  ■ 

man  observing  we  were  looking  at  a  garden  in 
tlie  neighbourhood  with  some  curiosity,  cour- 
teously made  signs  for  us  to  follow  him,  and  j 
opening  the  door,  he  introduced  us  into  lite-  ] 
rally  a  wilderness  of  sweets,  which  had  origi-  I 
naUy  been  laid  out  with  much  taste,  but  now  I 
seemed  neglected  and  allowed  to  run  to  waste.  I 
There  grew  the  date  with  its  wavy  and  elegant  J 
fern-like  leaf ;    the  doom  with  its  fan-shaped  i 
branches  ;  the  sycamore  bearing  figs ;  the  pome-  I 
granate  with  its  scarlet  honours,  contrasting  so  I 
gaily  ^vith  tlie  vivid  green  of  its  foliage ;  the  | 
cotton  with  its  yellow  corolla  and  cistus-marked  i 
petals ;    the  citron   and  the   lime   with   their  ] 
sweetly-sgented  and  exquisitely  white  blossoms, 
embosomed  in  their  darkly  rich  and  deep-hued 
leaves.     All  these  in  bright  profusion  appeared 
doubly    beautiful,    from    the    contrast   of  the 
surrounding  sterility,  and    we  made   our  way 
through    tangled   thickets    and    intermingling 
boughs,  till  we  suddenly  came  upon  a  small 
^^  glade,  or  opening,  where  a  young  man  of  dis- 

^H  tinction,   richly  dressed,    was    sitting    on    the 

^H  ground,  performing  his   devotions,  whilst  his 

^H  attendants  stood  round  in  the  most  respectful 

^^^  manner.      The  gay  hues  of  the  Turkish,  cos- 

^^M  tume  had  a  good  efifect,  seen  among  the  thick 


TOMD  OF  THE  SLLTAN'S  SOX. 


237 


minded  me  of  a  scene  in  the  Arabian  Nights. 
Sahitations  and  "Alicum  salaam"  were  mutu- 
ally exchanged  in  tlie  most  courteous  manner, 
and  we  continued  our  route. 

The  Camseen,  though  dying  away,  and  blow- 
ing with  abated  force,  was  not  yet  over,  and 
the  breeze,  instead  of  cooling,  consequently 
heated,  and  filled  our  tent  with  sand  and  dust : 
the  thermometer,  at  noon,  rose  to  105°,  and 
this,  under  canvas,  we  found  most  oppressive. 
We  therefore  took  up  our  station  under  the 
friendly  shade  of  a  noble  tamarind  which  over- 
hung the  neighbouring  tomb,  and  having  our 
chairs  and  table  placed  beneath,  we  sat  there 
for  some  time,  and  I  began  a  letter  to  my 
friends  in  England,  tlated  ■'  from  the  tomb." 
In  the  Scriptures  and  in  Kastern  stories  we 
often  read  of  persons  dwelling  in  the  tombs, 
and  takhig  up  their  abode  there,  which  formerly 
seemed  strange  ;  but  I  now  comprehended  that 
they  might  be  a  very  agreeable  retreat.  Tliis 
was,  we  were  told,  "  the  sepulchre  of  the  Sul- 
tan's son." 

By  a  small  door  we  entered  into  an  open 
court,  which  was  surrounded  by  high  white 
walls,  and  where  were  the  graves  of  several  of 
the  family,  magnificent  sycamore  and  tamarind- 
trees  overhanging  the  whole,  round  the  stems 


r 

f  of- 


TOMB  OF  THE  SULTAN'S  SON, 


of  which,  equal  to  those  of  English  oaks,  wei 
placed  jars    of  water,  for   the  benefit  of  th©: 
weary    and    the   thirsty    traveller :     a    charity  j 
which  can  only  be  appreciated  by  tliose  whM 
have  been  in   dry    and   sultry   climates.    An 
apartment  of  about  fourteen  feet  square,  with 
a  vaulted  roof,  perforated  so  as  to  admit  the 
air  and  a  subdued  and  chastened  light,  whilst 
the  glare  and  heat   were  excluded,  contained 
the    principal    tomb,    which    was   handsomely 
hung  over  with  crimson  cloth,  and  richly  em-"i 
broidered  with  Arabic  sentences  and  ornaments  ;  \ 
at  the  head  of  it  a  lamp  was  burning —  th&l 
Sultan's   son    slept   beneath.     Who  and   what  I 
was  he  ? — a  tyrant  or  a  benefactor  to  mankind  ?rl 
He  was — the  Sultan's  son  ! 

As  I  knelt  on  the  tlireshold,  not  knowing'-l 
whether  a  woman  and  a  Christian  might  enteral 
the  interior,  and  as  I  gazed  on  the  coolness  and  I 
calmness  within,  contrasted  with  the  hubbub, 
toil,   and   trouble   without,  I  felt  indeed  the 
tomb  to  be  a  refuge  from  the  din  and  turmoil 
of  this  "  dim  spot  wbieh  men  call  earth,"  and  i 

was  half  disposed  to  envy  those  who  had  ^ 
made  their  escape  from  thence.  Greatly  to 
our  surprise,  I  was  told  I  might  enter ;  but 
how  much  more  were  we  astonished,  when  a 
deputation  from  the  Sheik  of  the  village  in- 
fonned  us  "  we  might  dme  within  if  we  pleas-  J 


TOMB  OF  THE  SULTA-VS  SON.  239 

ed."  At  first,  a  sort  of  natural  loathing  came 
over  me,  but  however, 

"  The  dog-star  was  raging,  a  shade  was  a  booD," 

my  repugnance  melted  before  1 05  degrees 
of  the  thermometer,  and  we  dined  with — the 
Sultan's  son !  Unlike  Don  Giovanni's  com- 
mander, he  did  not  however  pay  us  a  visit 
during  our  meal.  No !  such  freaks  are  only 
played  by  our  light-hearted,  light-heeled  Euro- 
pean ghosts.  A  Turkish  one  ^vould  be  too 
sedate;  and,  undisturbed  by  the  Sultan's  son, 
we  made  our  repast  in  his  tomb. 


LETTER  XXVII. 

Desert  of  the  Theba  id  .—Caravan  —Alarm  of  predatory 
Arabs.— Caravan  sera. — Village  of  Bir  Antbar. — Legayta, 
—Arrival  of  Car 


We  felt  how  doubly  delightftd  was  the  re- 
treat of  the  tomb  when  the  time  approached 
for  us  to  bid  it  adieu  ;  it  was  so  cool,  so  calm, 
so  peacefid,  and  presented  such  a  contrast  to 
the  confusion  and  hubbub  that  reigned  with- 
out. Tliere  were  caravans  going  and  coming; 
our  own  camel-drivers  running  about  in  every 
direction,  hallooing,  sci'eaming,  and   shouting. 


J 


I 


DEPAimiRE  OF  THE  CARAVAN 

till  at  length  Giovanni  came  in  quite  dismayed, 

to  request  C would  come  and  "  gridare" — 

scold  tliem  all  well.  He  accordingly  went,  but 
soon  returned,  for  he  said,  he  could  not  answer 
for  himself,  they  were  so  provoking. 

The  sun  was  sinking  in  the  west  ere  we 
again  commenced  our  jouniey.  Amidst  a 
crowd  of  wondering  spectators  and  wild-look- 
ing natives  did  I  once  more  attempt  to  enter 
my  Takhtrouan,  but  just  as  I  was  on  the 
point  of  ascending,  I  was  suddenly  arrested 
with  the  information  that  one  of  the  camels 
was  vicious  and  restive,  and  would  not  carry 
me  safely.  This  was  by  no  means  agreeable 
intelligence,  and  in  consequence  of  the  delay 
occasioned  by  changing  the  animal,  the  sun  was 
set  before  we  fairly  started. 

Our  little  caravan  consisted  of  twenty-eight 
camels,  a  few  donkeys,  a  couple  of  goats,  one 
of  which  we  brought  with  us  from  Malta,  and 
the  other  we  had  purchased  at  Kenn^,  and  we 
carried  with  us  tents,  beds,  cooking-utensils, 
clothes,  provisions,  and  water,  not  only  for  the 
Desert,  but  also  for  the  Red  Sea.  We  had 
about  fifteen  camel-drivers,  who  walked  by 
the  side  of  their  camels,  two  of  whom  con- 
stantly kept  close  to  my  Takhtrouan,  which 
moved  in  the  centre  for  safety.  The  camels 
were  tied  two  or  three  together ;  some  stalked 


A 


THE  SKIUTS  OV  THE  DESERT. 


241 


on  before,  whilst  others  lingered  behiiul,  and 
our  attendants,  darting  in  every  direction, 
shouted,  hallooed,  or  raised  a  wild  and  by 
no  means  unmelodious  song,  that  sounded 
harmoniously  as  it  floated  upon   the  ambient 

air  and  broke  the  silence  of  the  night.     C , 

mounted  on  a  camel,  rode  by  my  side,  whilst 
our  Bedouin  guide,  our  Ababd^  Dandy  as  we 
termed  him,  rode  sometimes  in  front  and  some- 
times brought  up  the  rear.  Being  furnished  with 
a  mussuk  of  water,  the  coolness  of  which  he  un- 
derstood how  to  preserve,  and  a  wooden  bowl, 
his  appearance  was  most  welcome  to  the  thirsty 
individuals  of  the  party,  as  he  most  courte- 
ously distributed  his  favours  to  all.  The  Indian 
Sheik  Chaund,  the  Portuguese  cook  Matiste, 
the  Maltese  Giovanni,  the  Ababd^,  and  a  ne- 
gro attendant,  each  one  looking  more  foreign 
than  the  other,  were  all  mounted  upon  camels, 
and  I  would  have  given  something  to  have 
gone  down  Regent  Street  in  grand  procession, 
Takhtrouan  and  all,  exactly  as  we  were  at  this 
I  instant :  I  assure  you  I  think  we  should  have 
1  caused  a  great  sensation,  perhaps  even  greater 
k  tlian   the   Lord   Mayor's  Show.     For  defence, 

I  we  had  C 's  pistols,  gun,  sword,  and  our 

I  Ababd^  Dandy,  and  now  we  were  fairly  enter- 
fting  upon  the  skirts  of  the  Desert.  There  were 
fcstill  some  lingering  marks  of  vegetable  life,  and 

VOI,.    I.  I( 


242  PREDATORY  ARABS. 

in  the  vicinity  of  one  or  two  wretched-looking 
villages  which  we  passed  were  some  date-trees, 
and  a  few  plants  of  a  species  of  solamim,  called 
burrambeer.  We  experienced  several  little 
stoppages,  arising  from  the  camels  throwing 
off  their  badly-packed  burdens ;  and  once  in 
particular,  I  was  quite  alarmed  by  a  dreadful 
screaming,  which  was  caused  by  our  poor 
chickens  being  thrown  from  their  elevated  po- 
sition on  the  top  of  a  camel,  and  most  dismal 
were  the  outcries  and  cackling  raised.  The  ow- 
dit  was,  that  they  made  as  much  noise  as  if  so 
many  women  were  there !  As  it  grew  dark, 
several  wild  and  suspidous-looking  personages 
hung  upon  oiu*  rear.  The  Ababdfe  was  sent 
to  remonstrate  with  them,  but  in  vain.  Sheik 
Chaund  threatened  them  with  **  a  pistol,*'  but 

with  no  effect ;  till  at  length  C resolutely 

riding  up  to  them,  told  them  with  an  authori- 
tative air,  "  if  they  did  not  move  off,  he  would 
bring  Mahomet  Ali  upon  them."  The  name 
of  Mahomet  Ali  was  at  last  understood,  and 
the  substance  of  the  threat  comprehended,  for 
after  a  short  pause,  "  Mahomet  Ali !"  said  they, 
and  immediately  decamped. 

About  midnight  the  moon  rose  in  the  east, 
waning  towards  her  last  quarter,  when  we  dis- 
covered that  Sheik  Chaund,  who  had  under  his 
charge  our  most  valuable  trunks,  was  not  with 


t'AltAV  ANSF.RA. 


243 


the  caravan.  ^Ve  came  to  a  halt  and  lield  a 
consultation.  Conceive  me  in  my  Takhtroufin, 
interpreter-general  to  the  party,  surrounded  by 
men  on  camels,  and  wild  and  clamorous  Arabs 
on  foot.  I  delivered  C— — ^'s  orders  to  Giovanni 
in  Italian,  who  explained  them  in  Arabic  to 
the  Reis,  or  captain  of  our  little  band,  and  the 
answers  travelled  circuitously  back  again  in  the 
same  way.  Slieik  Chaund  was  vociferated  re- 
peatedly in  grand  chorus ;  a  gun  was  fired,  and 
our  Ababdfe  sent  back  in  search  of  him.  We 
were  fully  convinced  he  had  fallen  a  victim  to 
the  Robbers  of  the  D&sert,  and  we  thought 
of  our  suspicious-looking  Arabs,  till  at  length 
after  considerable  delay.  Sheik  Chaund  and  the 
Ababd&  came  trotting  merrily  up,  the  former* 
having  stayed  behind  to  bring  up  a  fallen  camel. 
By  the  light  of  the  moon  we  perceived  we 
were  now  in  the  vicinity  of  some  buildings, 
and  our  Reis  most  earnestly  requested  permis- 
sion to  halt  here.  "  What,  after  a  journey  of 
a  few  hours!"  exclaimed  C .  The  Reis  an- 
swered "  this  was  the  last  place  where  they 
could  get  good  water,  and  they  had  none  for  the 
Desert ;  neither  had  they  bread,  and  here  they 

could  procure  some."      At  length   C was 

prevailed  upon,  ar.d  we  proceeded  to  explore  the 

buildings  to  see  if  we  could  manage  to  take 

up  our  abode  there  for  the  night.     We  entered 

11  2 


244  CARAVANSERA. 

a  long  and  gloomy  corridor,  into  which  the 
beams  of  the  moon  penetrated  just  sufficiently 
to  make  a  sort  of  darkness  visible,  and,  uncer- 
tain who  or  what  we  might  meet,  we  traversed 
an  extensive,  and,  as  it  appeared  to  my  fears, 
an  almost  interminable  edifice.  "  There  is 
something  breathing  close  to  us,"  exclaimed  I, 

as  I  tremblingly  caught  hold  of  C 's  arm 

for  protection,  my  imagination  conjuring  up 
Bedouins  and  Arabs,  wolves,  jackals,  and  hyae- 
nas. We  paused — it  was  only  the  wind !  the 
night  breeze  sighing  along  the  passage  which 
had  thus  alarmed  me,  and  my  terrors  were  soon 
dispersed  by  the  cheerful  light  of  lamps,  and 
the  animating  sound  of  the  voices  of  our  at- 
'tendants,  who  now  commenced  their  prepara- 
tion for  our  accommodations  for  the  night. 
By  the  aid  of  curtains  and  tent  walls,  we  had 
soon  a  comfortable  inclosure  made  for  our- 
selves ;  our  couches  were  placed  within,  our 
attendants  lay  beyond,  and  about  three,  a.  m. 
our  little  caravan  was  wrapt  in  deep  repose. 

On  the  following  morning,  (May  27th,)  we 
proceeded  to  examine  the  nature  of  our  domi- 
cile, and  found  ourselves  in  an  extensive  ca- 
ravansera,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Bir  Ambar,  which  had  been  built  by 
Ibrahim  Pasha,  for  the  accommodation  of  him- 
self and  of  his  Haram,  when  he  took  the  field 


DKSCKHTIUN    111'   A   CAHAXANSKIU.  245 

against  the  VValihabees.  It  was  constructed 
with  every  possible  attention  to  the  exclusion 
of  heat,  and  tlie  admission  of  air.  Down  the 
centre  ran  a  long  corridor,  which  divided  the 
building  into  two  divisions  ;  on  one  side  was  a 
range  of  small  apartments,  with  no  other  light 
than  what  was  admitted  by  the  door,  and  per- 
forations, or  twisted  funnels,  something  like 
chimneys,  in  the  vaulted  roofs,  and  before  these 
small  apertures  a  wall  was  raised,  so  as  to  pre- 
vent even  the  reflection  of  the  sun's  rays  enter- 
ing. The  Orientals  justly  consider  darkness 
and  coolness  as  almost  synonymous  things,  and 
use  every  precaution  to  exclude  the  light,  and 
it  is  inconceivable  how  delightfully  cool  we 
found  these  rooms.  On  the  other  side  of 
the  corridor  was  a  large  open  apartment, 
or  portico,  in  which  we  passed  the  night, 
with  troughs  of  water  in  front,  and  it  was 
very  amusing  to  see  all  the  camels  brought 
hither  to  drink  in  the  course  of  the  day.  At 
the  farther  extremity,  was  a  large  tank,    and 

a  delightful  bath,  which  made  C amends 

for  the  loss  of  the  limpid  waters  of  the  Nile. 
At  the  entrance  of  the  caravansera  was  station- 
ed a  venerable  old  Arab,  who  had  apparently 
the  care  and  superintendence  of  it,  with  a  little 
fire,  and  a  coflFee-pol  before  him,  some  of  the 
contents  of  which  he  offered  to  us,  in  the  fairy 


246  CAMEL-DKIVEUS. 

cups  of  Egypt.  Alas,  for  the  novice !  whilst 
I  was  admiring  the  simplicity,  the  hospitality, 
the  honh(ymmie  of  the  act,  out  came  "buck - 
sheesh"  to  destroy  the  illusion. 

Before  we  again  started,  we  deemed  it  expe- 
dient to  come  to  a  better  understanding  with 
our  camel-drivers,  in  order  to  establish  a  lit- 
tle more  regularity  in  our  movements.  Our 
two  interpreters.  Sheik  Chaund  and  Giovanni, 
and  the  men,  were  accordingly  sent  for;  and 

C ,  with  all  possible  gravity,  with  pen  and 

ink,  affecting  to  write  down  all  that  was  said, 
informed  the  Reis  he  was  to  be  answerable  for 
the  good  behaviour  of  his  band,  and  for  the 
safety  of  ourselves,  and  of  our  property ;  and 
that  they  were  to  obey  his  orders  in  every 
thing.  It  would  have  made  an  excellent  pic- 
ture ;  we,  grandly  seated  at  the  table,  deliver- 
ing our  orders  with  much  pomp  and  assumed 
dignity,  in  Hindoostanee  and  Italian,  to  Sheik 
Chaund  and  Giovanni,  who  were  gravely  stand- 
ing behind  us,  the  which  were  transmitted  in 
Arabic  to  the  Reis,  and  the  answers  travelled 
back  in  a  similar  manner,  the  camel-drivers  all 
peeping,  staring,  w^ondering,  and  chattering,  in 
the  mean  time,  in  the  back-ground,  and  arguing 
with  the  Reis,  \vith  the  utmost  vehemence  and 
impetuosity. 

WHiilst  the  camels  were  loading,  and  C 


VISITS  FItUlI   AHAB  WUMEN. 


247 


superintending  some  of  the  preparations  for 
our  departure,  I  remained  toute  settle  in  one  of 
the  small  apartments  I  have  mentioned,  and  an 
Arab  woman  from  the  neighbouring  village,  see- 
ing me  alone,  came  to  pay  me  a  visit.  She 
stopped  at  tlie  entrance,  and  made  her  salaam, 
and  then  slowly  advancing  in  a  Iiesitating  man- 
ner, as  if  fearful  of  offending  me,  she  offered 
her  hand, —  exclaiming,  '*  Salamat,  salamat," 
and  as  I  gave  her  mine  in  return,  "  tybe,  tybe," 
added  she,  as  she  raised  it  most  gracefully  to 
her  lips.  She  did  not  ask  for  bucksheesh,  which 
is  worth  recording;  but  on  my  offering-  her  a 
piastre,  she  accepted  it  with  a  look  of  surprise 
and  pleasure,  pressed  it  to  her  lips,  and  retired 
with  another  salaam.  There  was  a  courtesy, 
and  even  an  elegance  in  her  address  and  de- 
portment, which  were  very  superior  to  those  of 
our  peasants  ;  and  from  her  dignified  manners,  I 
imagine  she  must  have  been  one  of  the  prind- 
pal  women  of  the  village.  At  the  entrance  of 
the  caravanscra,  I  met  with  a  young  Arab  wo- 
man, about  ten  or  eleven  years  old,  who  came 
up  to  me,  with  all  a  mother's  pride,  to  exhibit 
her  child,  and  seemed  highly  gratified  at  the 
notice  I  bestowed  upon  her  dusky  babe  — but 
slie  did  not  forget  to  ask  for  bucksheesh. 

All    the  village  turned  out  to  witness  our 
departure,  and  before  and  after  I  was  in  my 


248  Bill  AM  BAR. 

Takhtrouan  1  was  surrounded  by  old  women, 
and  young  women,  and  all  the  children  in  the 
country,  I  believe,  who  seemed  half  inclined 
to  lay  violent  hands  upon  me ;  they  lifted  up 
the  curtains  and  opened  the  doors  to  gaze  at 
me,  and  then  set  up  so  shrill  a  cry  of  "  back- 
sheesh !"  as  almost  alarmed  me. 

Bir  Ambar,  which  signifies  "  tlie  Well  of 
Spices,"  is  inhabited  by  the  tribe  of  Agaazy. 
This  was  the  last  village  we  met  with.  And 
here  were  the  last  signs  of  cultivation,  there 
being  some  of  the  solanum  scattered  about, 
with  an  immense  capsule  as  big  as  a  child's  head, 
containing  curious  layers  of  seeds,  of  which 
our  camels  refused  to  eat,  and  which  our  ser- 
vants told  us  would  blister  our  hands.  The 
houses  are  of  a  most  singular  construction; 
they  are  formed  of  unbaked  potter's-clay,  in 
one  piece,  of  the  shape  of  a  bee-hive,  about  ten 
feet  high  and  six  wide,  so  that  they  resemble 
immense  apiaries,  rather  than  human  habita- 
tions. 

The  sun  had  set  before  we  fairly  started, 
but  the  stars  were  brilliant  beyond  conception, 
emitting  a  peculiarly  pure  and  vivid  light, 
and  amply  compensating  for  the  want  of  that 
of  the  moon  ;  the  air  was  pleasant  and  agree- 
able, and  we  were  now  really  and  bofid  fide 
upon  the  Desert,  traversing  a  wild  and   arid 


LEUAYTA.  249 

plain,  slightly  undulated  like  the  waves  of  the 
sea,  but  firm  and  pleasant  to  walk   upon,    as 

C experienced,  who  frequently  got  off  to 

take  a  promenade  when  tired  of  riding.  We 
moved  at  the  rate  of  two  miles  and  a  half  the 
hour,  and  just  as  the  light  began  to  dawn  we 
reached  Legayta.  Whilst  our  tents  were  pitch- 
ing, which,  from  the  total  inability  of  procuring 
tent  Lascars  at  Kenn^,  and  from  the  ignorance 
of  our  attendants,  took  up  a  considerable  time, 
I  amused  myself  with  walking  about.  In  this 
spot,  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  in  eA'ery  di- 
rection, was  it  met  witli  a  wide  and  extensive 
plain,  excepting  where  bounded  by  a  distant 
range  of  wild  and  fantastically  shaped  hills.  The 
only  signs  of  vegetable  life  were  some  solitary 
solanums,  and  one  dwarf-tree  of  the  Acacia 
tribe,  which  seemed  to  be  the  land-mark  for  the 
caravans  in  traversing  this  pathless  waste.  In 
the  most  distant  horizon  1  perceived  some 
black  spots,  which  I  at  first  took  for  sttmted 
trees.  They  moved,— they  advanced, — they  en- 
larged,— they  separated, —  and  at  length  camels 
and  men  were  distinctly  visible,  slowly  wend- 
ing their  weary  way  towards  Legayta.  Wells 
of  water,  undrinkable  and  bitter  as  soot,  were 
what  decided  the  movements  of  so  many  hun- 
dreds of  persons.  In  the  neigh b<nirhood  of  this 
place  were  some  low  and  wretched    buildings 


250  ENCAMPMEMTS  IN  DESEKT. 

which  were  dignified  by  the  name  of  Caravan* 
seras,  though  certainly  not  equal  to  our  pig-sties 
and  dog-kennels  in  England ;  hoWever,  to  the 
weary  pilgrim  they  served  as  welcome  retreats 
from  a  burning  sun,  and  a  thermometer  105®  in 
the    shade.     Our   caravan  was   the  first    that 
arrived  at  Legayta,  but  in  the  course  of  an 
hour  I  counted  not  less  than  twenty,  which 
arrived  at   the  same  spot,  or  which  were  ad- 
vancing towards  it.     There  seemed  to  be  some 
sort  of  rude  order  observed  in  their  arrange- 
ments ;    the  Reis,  or    principal   man,   having 
selected  a  favourable    spot,   made  his    camel 
kneel  down,  the  next  in  authority  did  the  same 
at  some  distance,  and  in  the  intermediate  space 
the  others  took  up  their  position,  each  caravan 
keeping  strictly  within  its  own  limits,  and  not 
interfering  with  each  other ;  and  although  with- 
in the  circuit  of  two  miles  there  must  have 
been  more  than  a  thousand  persons  encamped 
around  us,  only  once   did  we   hear  any   dis- 
turbance,  which  proceeded  from  a  man  being 
soundly   beaten    for    stealing   water.      I    ob- 
served a   few  Arab  families  wandering  about 
in    the    rear  of   the    caravans,    in    search  .  of 
whatever  might  have  dropped  from  the  camels, 
and   one   of  them   brought   a  large  piece  of 
tire-wood    to    our    tents,    which     he    offered 
for   sale.      They    seemed    wretchedly   poor,   a 


STATK  OF  THE  ATMOSl'IlEltE.  251 

couple  of  sticks  witli  a  ragged  cloth  extended 
across,  fbriningtlieir  habitation,  two  stones  and 
a  third  placed  at  the  top  constituting  tiieir 
kitclien,  a  goat  and  its  kid  their  ftocks.  A  blue 
shift  was  the  attire  of  the  women,  and  a  ragged 
turban  and  coarse  cloth  round  the  middle  that 
of  the  men. 

Notwithstanding  Bruce's  animated,  and  by 
no  means  exaggerated  account  of  this  spot, 
we  spent  really  a  very  pleasant  day  at  Le- 
gayta.  The  air,  though  warm,  was  delightfully 
pure,  and  instead  of  tlie  much-dreaded  Samiel, 
it  delightful  North  breeze  blew,  which  agree- 
ably attempered  the  intense  heat  of  the  at- 
mosphere. From  the  appearance  of  the  sur- 
rounding plain,  we  were  almost  induced  to 
think  it  must  have  once  been  covered  by  tiie 
sea.  Perhaps  at  the  gradual  subsiding  of  the 
waters  of  tlie  Deluge  a  salt-lake  may  have  been 
left,  which,  suddenly  bursting  its  banks,  found 
its  way  ultimately  to  the  Red  Sea ;  or  if,  as  tra- 
dition states,  the  Nile  were  originally  an  im- 
merise  lake  or  morass,  perhaps  its  waters  once 
covered  this  tract,  and  when,  by  forcing  a  way 
through  the  hills  to  the  Mediterranean,  they 
found  a  vent,  this  country  became  arid  and 
desert,  as  Kgypt  would  be  at  this  moment,  but 
for  the  fertilizing  effects  of  that  noble  river. 


252  ADEL  CASIllA. 


LETTER  XXVIII. 

Adel  Cashia. — Beautiful  Nights  in  the  Desert. — Song  of  the 
Camel-drivers.— Caravan  becomes  separated.— Alarm. — 
Adabiah.— Mountains  of  valuable  Marbles.— > Pleasant  life 
in  the  Desert, — Arrival  at  Cosseir. — Abstract  of  Journey 
across  the  Desert. 

At  sunset  we  again  set  out  on  our  journey  ; 
the  night  was  delightfully  serene  and  pleasant, 
and  soon  after  we  left  Legayta,  the  undulated 
plain  began  to  swell  into  low  and  lumpy  hil- 
locks, like  heaps  of  dust  blown  up  by  the  wind, 
and  these  gradually  became  shivery  hills  of  a 
brownish  hue,  which  were  intersected  by  innu- 
merable tracks  and  roads,  till  they  all  terminated 
in  one  grand  defile,  closing  in,  and  gradually 
assuming  a  wilder  and  more  imposing  aspect, 
till  we  at  length   found  ourselves  completely 
surrounded  by  mountains  of  a  most  majestic 
and   picturesque  appearance,  perfectly  barren, 
and  without  any  signs  of  verdure  or  vegetation. 

The  sun  had  been  some  hours  above  the 
horizon  ere  we  reached  our  halting-place,  Adel 
Cashia,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  well,  the 
waters  of  which,  though  full  of  dust  and  sedi- 
ment, were  not  ill-tasted.  Our  servants  told  us 
there  were  a  fountain  and  some  trees  six  miles 
off*,    but  as  we   had    travelled  thirty-two,  we 


MiHNTAms  ()i-  Tirr.  dfseht.  25:j 

were  all  glad  of  a  little  repose,  and  we  en- 
camped in  a  valley  winch  was  completely  sur- 
rounded by  mountains  of  porphyry,  granite, 
and  green  marble,  the  shingly  and  stony  ap- 
pearance of  whose  surface,  closely  resembling 
the  dry  beds  of  rivers  in  Italy,  strongly  im- 
pressed us  with  the  idea,  that  it  had  once  been 
the  course  of  a  torrent.  We  had  been  gi-adu- 
ally  ascending,  and  the  air  was  so  peculiarly 
pure  and  rarified,  that  it  %vas  evident  we  were 
considerably  elevated  above  the  surface  of  the 
sea.  The  thermometer  was  105;  but  although 
I  was  forced  to  twist  an  immense  Cashmere 
round  my  head  to  keep  off  the  effects  of  tlie 
8un,  which  through  the  canvas  of  our  tent  was 
most  powerful,  we  did  not  feel  so  relaxed  and 
overcome  as  upon  the  Nile. 

Whilst  our  tents  were  striking  in  the  even- 
ing for  our  departure,  I  was  well  amused  with 
watching  the  proceedings  of  some  very  humble 

,  caravans  in  our  neighbourhood,  which  probably 
kept  in  our  vicinity  for  safety.  A  coarse  sail- 
cloth, suspended  on  two  sticks,  formed  their 
sole  shelter  from  the  noontide  heat.  Tliey  were 
now  preparing  their  evening  repast,  a  few 
fires  scattered  about  marked  their  stations  and 

.  their  movements,  while  the  fitful  light  the  flames 
emitted,  imparted  a  gipsey  cast  to  the  scene. 

r  An  Arab  woman,  with    two  children,  nearly 


2.->4  BEAiTiFi  L  xicarrs. 

in  a  state  of  nature,  approadied  me — of  course 
I  imagined  for  bucksheesh — ^but  no,  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  desert  appear  less  rapacious  when 
solitary,  than  when  congregated  in  crowds  and 
villages.  She  was  in  search  of  a  little  goat 
which  had  deserted  her  caravan  for  ours,  and  in 
which  probably  consbted  all  her  wealth.  Her 
husband  seized  the  straggler,  and  they  returned 
to  their  attempt  at  a  tent. 

Ere  we  again  set  off,  day-light  had  vanished, 
and  darkness  set  in,  if  darkness  that  could  be 
termed,  which  was  only  a  milder  and  a  softer 
day.  The  stars  were  uncommonly  bright,  and 
by  their  friendly  beams  we  were  enabled  to  see 
objects  as  distinctly  as  by  those  of  a  full  moon. 
The  nights  in  the  Desert  were  certainly  tran- 
scendently  beautiful,  and  beyond  any  thing  I 
ever  had  a  conception  of  before;  the  atmosphere 
was  so  clear,  the  air  was  so  pure,  that  I  could 
almost  have  turned  Sabaean,  and  adored  the 
Host  of  Heaven. 

The  camel-drivers  generally  sang  as  they 
marched,  and  their  wild  melodies  had  a  very 
pleasing  effect,  falling  upon  the  ear  from  the 
distance,  or,  reverberating  among  the  rocks, 
awaking  the  sleepy  echoes  of  the  Desert. 
They  sang  in  parts ;  the  front,  the  middle,  and 
the  rear  of  the  caravan,  thus  keeping  up  a  com- 
munication   with   each   other   as   they   wound 


IIDCKV   I'ASS. 


255 


the  valley,  and  cheering  their  camels  as 
they  stalked  onwards.  Occasionally  the  deep 
baying  of  a  dog,  the  melancholy  cry  of  the 
jackal,  or  the  roaring  of  wild  beasts,  hoarsely 
resounded  among  the  mountains,  threatening 
death  and  destruction  to  the  solitary  traveller 
wandering  through  tiiis  howling  wilderness. 

In  the  middle  of  the  night  we  came  to  a 
rocky  pass,  where  some  large  loose  fragments 
in  the  road  impeded  our  progress,  and  threw 
our  caravan  into  considerable  confusion.  There 
was  some  difficulty  in  passing,  but  the  sagacious 
camels  conveyed  my  Takhtrouan  over  in  safety, 
picking  their  road,  and  stepping  with  the  utmost 
caution  among  huge  masses  of  rock.     In  the 

darkness  of  the  defile,  C lost  sight  of  my 

litter,  and  imagining  it  to  be  behind,  he  im- 
mediately rode  back  with  Sheik  Chaund  to 
some  distance  in  search  of  me.  Not  meeting 
me,  he  began  to  be  apprehensive  I  had  en- 
countered Pekuah's  fate,  and  had  fallen  into 
the  hands  of  the  wandering  Arabs  ;  and  he  be- 
came so  seriously  alarmed,  that  dispatching  his 
companion  in  one  direction,  he  put  his  camel 
to  full  speed,  and  rode  oft'  in  another  by  him- 
self, forgetting  the  danger  of  losing  himself  in 
the  Desert.  He  listened  in  vain  for  the  wild 
chant  of  the  camel-drivers ;  a  death-like  still- 
ness reigned  around.     At  this  moment  a  wild- 


255  «PiXtTa>lf  '>F  THE  CS&1.¥^Ol 


T  T 


)    t    » '  u.  < 


eosatsmiefi  any  taess  fivks  own 

iud  t&oii  WDODiiiip  to  die  U^ 


fikawBf  and  not  2  bxtSe  sppontion,  and  m 


maimer,  he  pointed  oat  tbe  rood  to  him.  At 
leni^tli,  afto^  an  inta^ai  cf  tartmii^  sa^ense 
and  avudetr,  the  dieerii^  scmg  of  die  caundU 

driren  fdl  once  more  upon  C ^"s  ear,  and  to 

Im  great  jor  he  foond  the  Takfatrooan  and  its 
eontents  qaite  safe.  Chaand  was  now  missmg, 
and  we  feared  he  might  hare  lost  his  way 
among  tbe  nnmeroas  defiles  of  the  TaDej,  or 
have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  robbers.  A  gun 
was  fired  to  direct  his  steps,  and  to  alarm  his 
foes.  The  effect  was  strikingly  fine  and  grand, 
as  the  deep-toned  sound  burst  suddenly  upon 
the  ear,  startling  the  stillness  of  the  night,  and 
reverberating  and  re-echoing  from  rock  to  rock 
through  the  valley,  till  the  peals  gi-adually  died 
away  into  a  gentle  murmur.  At  length  after 
Mome  delay.  Sheik  Chaund  rode  up,  and  put  an 
ond  to  our  fears  upon  his  account.  At  day- 
break (May  80th),  we  came  in  sight  of  some 
fantastically  shaped  mountains,  the  conical 
(Iguro  of  wliich  recalled  the  Sugar-loaves  of 
Wlcklow  to  my  memory.     In  this  spot,  called 


ADAUIAII.  257 

'  Adabiah,  encircled  by  mountains  of  porphyry, 
'  granite,  verde  antico,  jasper,  and  {jreen  marble, 
of  which  Bruce  speaks  in  terms  of  such  asto- 
nishment, observing,  he  saw  enough  to  build 
a  dozen  such  cities  as  Rome,  Athens,  Corinth, 
Syracuse,  Memphis,  and  Alexandria,  did  we 
take  up  our  station  ;  and  whilst  our  tents  were 
'  pitching,  I  amused  myself  with  making  a 
sketch  of  the  scene.  At  tlie  entrance  of  the 
valley  was  a  solitary  watch-tower,  of  which  we 
had  seen  two  or  three  before  In  the  Desert ; 
and  here  I  could  have  fancied  myself  in  Sind- 
bad's  valley  of  diamonds ;  for  though  not  a 
blade  of  grass  was  to  be  seen,  nor  any  symptom 
either  of  water  or  vegetation,  we  were  treading 
upon  fragments  of  porphyry,  jasper,  alabaster, 
and  sparkling  crj'stal,  of  which  the  road  was 
composed. 

It  is  not  easy  to  conceive  the  sterile  gran- 
deur   of    the    scene,    and    the    singularity    of 
k  our  position,   encamped    in    the   heart  of   the 
]  Desert,  surrounded  by  wild  Arabs,  every  nio- 
I  ment  liable  to  an  attack  from  some  wandering 
I  tribe,   and    totally  dependent  upon    the  good 
f  faith  of  our  Ababde  guide  for  safety,  and  yet, 
from  the  novelty  of  all  around,  and  the  excite- 
ment   incident    to    travelling  in  such   uncom- 
\  mon  regions,  I  may  truly  say,  I  never  enjoyed 
myself  more,  despite  the  thermometer  at  105", 
vol..  I.  s 


258 


MOl  NTAINS  OF  MARBLE. 


and  the  numerous  petty  inconvlniencies  1 
necessarily  obliged  to  submit  to.     Certainly,  na 
fine  lady,  who  could  not  do  without  her  everyJ 
day  luxuries  and  comforts,  should  attempt  tha; 
Desert  of  the  Thebaid ;  but  I  believe  I  wai 
born  under  a  roaming  star,  and  I  must  say,  ] 
infinitely  preferred  this  patriarchal  style  of  lifei^ 
free  and  unshackled  as  it  was,  to  the  artificial 
stupidity  of  civilization.     I  no  longer  was  sur- 
prised at  the  ardent  love  of  the  Bedouin  for  his.  j 
wandering  life ;  the  marvel  is,  how  those  Arabi 
who  were  ever  free  to  roam  tlie  pathless  desert 
in  liberty,  could  submit  to  the  trammels  of  s 
ciety,  to  the  forms  of  a  city,  and  to  the  mai 
dates  of  an  arbitrary  tyrant. 

Wliilst  at  Rome,  I  remember  often'wondeis 
ing  where  its  numerous  columns  of  porphy 
and  jasper  could  have  come  from;  but  now  \ 
was  astonished,  considering  the  apparently 
inexhaustible  quarries  of  these  precious  ma- 
terials in  the  Desert  of  the  Thebaid,  that 
more  use  has  not  been  made  of  them  by 
the  moderns.  Wliy  should  not  the  English 
have  an  equal  profusion  of  pillars,  valuable 
marbles,  and  verde  antico,  as  the  ancient  ] 
mnns  ?  — and  why  should  not  London 
adorned  in  like  maimer  with  the  magnificent' 
cities  of  the  ancients?  What  man  has  done, 
man  may  do ;  and  as  the  descent  from  Adabiali_ 


ficent^^^ 
done, 
abiah 


LIFE  IN  THE  DESERT. 


to  the  Red  Sea  is  rapid,  if  it  were  desirable 
and  necessary,  wc  might  procure  and  convey 
precious  marbles  from  thence. 

It  was  easy  now  to  perceive  from  whence 
the  Egyptians  had  procured  the  enormous 
masses  of  stones  employed  in  the  construc- 
tion of  their  temples.  These  prodigious  stores 
of  marble  are  upon  a  ridge  so  elevated,  that 
there  is  a  considerable  declivity  to  the  Nile 
as  well  as  to  the  Red  Sea ;  and  Bruce,  who 
fifty  or  sixty  years  ago  saw  the  remains  of 
ancient  works,  and  of  ducts  and  canals,  men- 
tions a  huge  shaft  of  a  pillar  that  was  then 
still  to  be  seen  in  the  quarry.  He  supposes 
the  numerous  defiles  and  openings  into  the 
grand  valley  to  be  artificial,  and  not  natural, 
caused  by  the  labour  of  man,  whole  mountains 
having  been  cut  away  to  preserve  a  slope  to- 
wards the  Nile  as  gentle  as  possible. 

The  Arabs  were  so  alert  in  their  movements, 
that  this  afternoon  we  fairly  started  by  four 
P.M.  There  was  no  water  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, which  probably  expedited  our  departure; 
and  this  was  the  last  night's  journey  to  Cosseir, 
Dr.  Johnson  observes,  wc  seldom  do  any  thing 
for  the  last  time  without  regret ;  and,  as  we 
wound  along  the  noble  and  majestic  mountains, 
I  really  felt  quite  sorry  this  was  to  be  our 
lust  night  in  tlie  Desert.  Since  I  had  become 
s2 


260 


LIFE  IN  THE   UESEllT. 


inured  to  the  rough  motion  of  the  Takhtroui 
I  had  been  quite  dehghted  with  our  noctuni^i 
marches.  The  serenity  of  the  scene,  the  purity 
of  the  air,  the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  stars, 
contributed  tlieir  ngermens,  and  the  novelty 
and  excitement  of  spending  the  day  in  the 
patriarchal  fashion  under  tents  in  the  Desert, 
amply  compensated  for  the  heat  and  incon-> 
veniencies  we  encountered. 

The  intensity  of  the  heat  was  such,  that; 
without  exaggeration,  water  spilt  upon  the 
ground  or  upon  a  table  evaporated  instanta- 
neously ;  and  tea.  some  of  which  we  generally 
preserved  from  onr  evening's  repast  to  assuage 
our  thirst  before  breakfast  %vas  prepared  on  thi 
following  day,  literally  remained  quite  warm 
during  the  whole  night. 

At  midnight  the  defile  began  to  widen  ;  th< 
mountains,  gradually  diminishing  in  height 
lost  their  sublime  and  picturesque  appearance, 
and  by  degrees  sank  into  hills ;  we  perceived 
ourselves  rapidly  descending  —  the  air  lost  its 
purity  and  elasticity,  and  became  moist  and 
clammy.  About  three  a.m.  we  passed  the  Well 
of  Ambaseer,  which  is  strongly  impregnated 
with  salt  and  sulphur,  to  which  however  the 
camels,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  their  riders, 
who  were  not  prepared  for  tlie  movement, 
rushed   with  the  utmost  eagerness.     Soon   as 


I 


Soon   as^^^J 


ARKIVAL  AT  COSSEIR.  261 

"  the  morn  began  to  tremble  o'er  the  sky,"  our 
caravan  came  to  a  sudden  halt,  and  looking 
out,  my  eyes  first  fell  upon  the  blue  waters 
of  the  Red  Sea! 

AVe  found  ourselves  upon  a  barren  and  ex- 
tensive plain,  covered  with  tents  and  caravans, 
outside  the  walls  of  Cosseir,  at  which  place  we 
had  safely  arrived,  having  completed  our  jour- 
ney from  Kennfe  to  the  Red  Sea  in  six  days  and 
nights.  We  had  performed  it  with  the  ut- 
most ease,  and  with  much  gratification  to  our- 
selves. We  had  fortunately  met  with  neither 
the  robber  nor  the  Samiel  of  the  Desert,  but 
in  their  stead  with  courteous  Arabs,  and  de- 
lightful north  winds,  which  had  pleasantly 
attempered  the  heat  of  the  atmosphere.  The 
trifling  disasters  and  contre-te?nps  we  had  en- 
countered, had  been  but  so  many  adventures, 
attended  with  a  little  temporary  annoyance 
and  inconvenience  it  is  true,  but  likewise  af- 
fording a  great  deal  of  amusement ;  indeed  I 
have  often  looked  back  with  pleasure  to  my 
campaign  in  the  Desert ;  and,  when  tired  of 
the  unfeelingness,  selfishness,  and  barbarity  of 
pseudo-c/r//i2f(/  society,  frequently  have  I  felt 
disposed  to  exclaim — 

"  Fly  to  tlie  Desert,  oh,  fly  with  me!" 


262  JOUKNEY  ACROSS  THE  DESERT. 


ABSTRACT  OF  A  JOURNEY  ACROSS  THE  DESERT.   . 

AT    THE    RATE    OF 
ftOXETBIKG    BETWEEN    2^    AND    2^    3I1LES    PER    HOUR. 

First  march. —  May  25tb. 

HoQis.  MOes. 

Started  at  4  p.  m.    Reached  Sherafifa  at  6  p.  m.       2         3 

Second  march. — May  26th. 

Started  at  sunset.     Reached  Bir  Ambar  at  Mid- 
night.       •        ' 6       12 

Third  march.— May  27th. 

Started    about    sunset.     Reached    Legayta  at 

daybreak 10       24 

Fourth  march. — ^May  28th. 

Started  at  Sunset.     Reached   Adel  Cashia   at 

9  A.  M 12       32 

Fifth  march. — May  29th. 
Started  at  8  p.  m.     Reached  Adabiah  at  7  a.  m.     11       27 

Sixth  march, — May  SOth. 

Started  at  4  p.  m.     Reached  Cosseir  at  Day- 
break of  the  31st.         .  .  .  .     10       23 

51     121 


DBSCaiPTION  OF  COSSEIR. 


I 


LETTER  XXIX. 

Cosseir.— Egyptian  House.— Sun  rises  like  a  pillar  of  fire ! 
Retl  Sea.— Beautiful  colour. — Distress  from  want  of  water. 
— Locusts. — Vulturen. — Moggrebyn  Hadjes. — Arrival  of 
Frank  a, — Visit  from  the  Cacheff  of  Cosseir. 

FitESHLY  and  strongly  blew  tlie  morning 
breeze  as  we  entered  Cosseir,  a  small  sea-port 
town,  at  the  head  of  a  bay  in  the  Red  Sea, 
where  at  this  time  were  at  anchor  twenty  or 
thirty  Arab  Dows,  ready  to  carry  pilgrims  and 
grain  to  Mecca.  A  reef  of  coral  rocks,  about 
six  lumdred  yards  from  the  shore,  forms  a  sort 
of  roadstead,  close  to  which  the  vessels  were 
stationed,  none  of  very  great  size,  for  probably 
the  water  here  would  not  be  deep  enough  for 
large  ships,  tliough  well  calculated  for  small 
craft,  and  perhaps  for  steam -packets.  The  har- 
bour is  open  to  tlie  north-east  and  south-eajst 
winds,  but  otherwise  sheltered ;  and  to  the 
north  of  the  town  are  numerous  headlands  and 
little  bays.  To  the  .south,  a  tongue  of  land,  ex- 
tending into  the  sea,  forms  the  bay,  and  there 
is  an  extraordinary  and  very  high  ridge  of  per- 
fectly red  mountains,  resembling  the  spine  of 
an  animal,  which  niiglit  well  cause  navigators 


264  DESCRIPTIOX  OF  COfiSEO. 

to  bestow  upon  the  nei^bouring  sea  tbe  ap- 
pellation of  red.  To  the  west  is  a  curtain  of 
the  most  barren  and  desdate4ooking  hills  ima- 
ginable, black  in  hue,  with  a  lurid  tinge  over 
them,  which  seem  to  shut  Cosseir  out  fix>m  the 
rest  of  the  world,  but  through  whose  desert 
defiles  we  had  penetrated  thither.  Apparently 
the  barren  plain,  upon  which  the  town  now 
stands,  was  once  covered  by  the  sea,  for  it  looks 
little  more  than  a  reef  of  curiously-coloured 
stones  and  shells,  with  a  greenish  tinge  over  it. 
No  vegetation  is  there  to  be  seen,  and  literally 
not  a  blade  of  grass,  nor  the  least  appearance  of 
cultivation.  But  for  the  caravans  of  Mog- 
grebyn  Hadjes,  Cosseir  would  probably  soon 
dwindle  into  a  mere  village.  The  citadel  is 
quite  dilapidated,  but  there  are,  for  an  Oriental 
town,  pretty  wide  streets,  and  tolerable  bazaars, 
mosques,  coffee-houses,  &c. 

We  took  up  our  abode  in  the  house  of 
Seedee  Hoseyn,  an  African  merchant,  the  whole 
of  which  we  engaged  during  our  s^aur  at  Cos- 
seir. It  was  cool  and  spacious,  and  when  our 
own  furniture  was  properly  arranged,  it  proved 
really  a  very  comfortable  habitation.  We  en- 
tered by  a  gateway  into  an  interior  court, 
round  which  ran  a  covered  portico,  or  veran- 
dah ;  above  this  was  an  open  gallery,  upon 
which  all  the  principal  rooms  opened,  and  to 


RESIDENCE.— Sl'NKISE. 


265 


which  we  ascended  by  a  tolerably  wide  stair- 
case. A  smaller  one  led  to  a  suite  of  rooms, 
which  from  their  privacy  and  security  were 
evidently  intended  for  the  use  of  the  women. 
The  floors  and  walls  were  composed  of  mud, 
or  perhaps  of  what  we  should  call  lath  and 
plaster,  and  in  the  latter  were  circular  perfo- 
rations, which  we  were  uncertain  whether 
made  to  admit  the  air,  or  intended  as  loop- 
holes from  whence  to  fire  upon  an  enemy. 
On  three  sides  of  the  room  were  platforms 
elevated  several  inches  in  the  Turkish  fashion, 
which  were  sad  stumbling-blocks  to  European 
feet,  and  the  roof,  which  was  strongly  prop- 
ped, was  formed  of  rafters  and  matting.  The 
house  was  irregular,  and  somewhat  in  the  shape 
of  a  trapezium,  situated  not  a  stone's  throw 
from  the  sea,  upon  which  our  windows  look- 
ed. Conceive  ray  astonishment  and  surprise, 
upon  repairing  thither,  on  first  entering,  to  gaze 
upon  the  exquisite  beauty  of  the  waves,  and  to 
watch  the  sun  which  wasjust  emerging  from  the 
bosom  of  the  water,  to  see  the  latter,  instead  of 
rising  in  its  usujd  circular  form,  assume  that  of 
a  pillar  of  Jire  !  I  positix'ely  doubted  the  evi- 
dence of  my  senses,  and  I  should  scarcely  hope 
to  be  believed,  but  tliat  I  find  the  ancients,  and 
Agatharchidcs  in  particular,  have  mentioned 
the  same  plisenomenon  upon  these  coasts,  where 


266  COLOUR  OF  THE  RED  SEA. 

they  observed  •*  the  sun  rose  like  a  pillar  of 
fire."*  Lord  Valentia  also  noticed  a  similar  ap- 
pearance at  Mocha,  where  he  saw  it  set  in  like 
manner.  We  subsequently  frequently  saw  it 
assume  an  elongated,  but  never  again  so  com- 
pletely columnar  a  figure.  We  could  but  think 
of  the  pillar  of  fire,  which  for  forty  years  gave 
light  to  the  Israelites  in  the  wilderness. 

The  colour  of  the  Red  Sea  here  was  of  the 
most  exquisite  blue  imaginable,  far  exceeding 
in  beauty  the  boasted  hue  of  the  Mediterranean. 
The  breakers  had  a  peculiarly  vivid  and  lively 
whiteness,  which  by  contrast  added  greatly  to 
the  brilliancy  of  the  azure  main  ;  but,  though 
I  could  have  gazed  for  hours,  it  was  too  dazzling 
to  permit  me  to  do  so  with  impunity.  Through 
the  transparent  waves,  a  beautiful  mosaic  pave- 
ment, composed  of  corallines,  shells,  and  colour- 
ed stones,  was  distinctly  visible,  and  several  curi- 
ous species  of  sea-weed.  In  our  rambles  upon 
the  shore  we  frequently  collected  specimens  of 
shells,  which  in  England  would  have  been 
deemed  valuable  ornaments  to  the  cabinets  and 
drawing-rooms  of  collectors  and  virtuosi,  and 
there  was  a  fairy  sort  of  crab,  with  the  celerity 
and  elegance  of  whose  movements  I  was  quite 
delighted,  and  which,  with  the  quickness  of 
thought,  on  being  disturbed,  would  run  off 
and  attempt  to  hide  itself  in  the  sand. 


CLIMATE.  267 

We  found  the  climate  here  not  unpleasant ; 
the  mornings  and  evenings  were  delightful,  and 
at  noon  the  thermometer  ranged  between  eighty 
and  ninety  degrees,  which,  after  one  hundred 
and  five  in  the  Desert,  was  comparatively  so 
cool,  that  I  was  frequently  glad  to  make  use  of  a 
shawl.  The  nights  here  were  most  lovely ;  the 
stars  shone  with  a  brilliancy  and  a  softness  I 
hardly  ever  saw  equalled,  and  after  the  heat  of 
the  day,  when  Vesper  appeared  on  high  in  the 
clear  blue  sky,  he  seemed  like  a  mild  and  be- 
neficent deity.  This  was  tlie  season  for  merri- 
ment and  amusement ;  and  accordingly  tom- 
toms and  native  music  were  heard  till  day-break. 
This  perhaps  may  account  for  the  absence  of 
ghoitta  here  ;  for,  although  from  time  immemo- 
rial, all  our  English  spirits  have  been  laid  in  the 
Hed  Sea,  and  though  we  were  for  weeks  either 
upon  it,  or  its  shores,  no  phantom  ever  thought 
of  paying  its  countrywoman  a  visit,  to  enquire 
what  was  going  on  in  the  green  Isles  of  the 
West,  from  whence  I  was  just  arrived. 

Almost  all  the  fresh  water  at  Cos.seir  was 
brought  from  Ambaseer,  the  well  in  the  Desert, 
six  miles  distant,  but  it  was  so  impregnated  with 
sulphur,  and  smelt  so  offensively,  that  it  was 
almost  undrinkable.  I  never  before  had  known 
what  it  was  to  be  deprived  of  that  necessary  of 
life,  and  I  now  fully  entered  into  the  sufferings 


266  SCARCITT  OF  \V ATE II— LOCUSTS. 

of  the   Israelites,  and  their   murmurs    aga 
Moses,  as  mentioned  in  Holy  Writ.     To  i 
to  our  distress,  we  now  first  discovered  that 
our  stock  of  Nile  water   was  almost    equally 
bad  ;  and  I  could  not  easily  describe  to  you,  , 
how  very,  very  much  at  times   I  longed  for  | 
a  glass  of  clear  and  sparkling  water  fresh  from.  1 
the  spring. 

We  were,  however,  notwithstanding  this  I 
want  of  water,  terribly  annoyed  with  flies  and  I 
musqidtos ;  and,  in  one  of  our  walks,  we  once  I 
met  a  small  flight  of  locusts,  with  their  beau-  I 
tifuUy  striped  wings  and  hieroglyphically  [ 
marked  foreheads.  These  remarkable  lines  ] 
the  Mahometans  believe  convey  some  mystic 
meaning,  and  consequently  regard  them  with 
some  degree  of  veneration.  They  form 
once  one  of  the  most  beautiful,  as  well  as  one  i 
of  the  most  destructive  species  of  the  insect  I 
tribe. 

Our  Arab  attendants  were  anxious  to  quit  ] 
Cosseir  almost  immediately  after  their  arrival,  as  I 
they  considered  its  air  and  water  to  be  prejudi- 
cial to  their  camels;  indeed,  I  believe,  the  neigh-  ' 
bourhood  of  the  sea  is  always,  in  some  degree, 
hurtful  to  this  ship  of  the  Desert,  but,  from 
the  little  variety  we  saw  in  the  animal,  as  well 
as  vegetable  kingdom,  I  should  think  Cosseir  I 
was  "  neither  good  for  man  nor  beast."     We 
.saw  a  few  migratory  .s^vallows,    some   plovers. 


VULTURES  269 

sea-gulls,  and  immense  vultures,  the  which 
seemed  sent  by  Providence  as  scavengers  to 
an  unclean  and  dirty  people.  The  carrion 
vulture,  (i-}dtnr  petenoptonts,)  was  for  its 
services  installed  by  the  ancient  Egyptians  in 
their  Pantheon,  and  was  considered  by  them  as 
sacred  ;  and  in  Egypt  it  is  still  held  unlawful  to 
kill  the  vulture.  In  the  paintings  in  the  Kings' 
Tombs  at  Tliebes,  the  Genii  and  Spirits  are 
always  represented  with  the  heavy  extended 
vulture  wing,  which  is  very  unlike  the  butter- 
fly wings  we  give  to  our  Cupids  and  Psyches. 
These  birds  generally  station  themselves  on 
the  most  elevated  spot  they  can  select,  and, 
with  their  bright  and  sharp  eyes  watchfully 
scanning  the  plain  beneath  in  search  of  prey, 
they  have  really  a  majestic  and  imposing  ap- 
pearance. We  saw  several  thus  occupied  on 
the  top  of  the  Pyramid  of  Cephrenes,  at  Ghizil. 
Cosseir  was  at  this  time  extremely  full,  and 
provisions  were  very  dear,  on  account  of  its  being 
the  height  of  the  Hadje  season.  As  the  ships 
were  all  fully  occupied  by  pilgrims,  we  had  some 
difficulty  in  arranging  for,  and  iu  procuring  a 

passage  to  Djidda ;  and  C- paid  several  visits 

to  the  CachefT,  to  request  him  to  expedite  our 
departure,  who  told  him,  that  at  any  other  time 
he  would  have  obliged  the  owners  of  the  vessels 
to  take  us  at  a  reasonable  rate,  but  that  at  this 
moment  he  could  not  interfere,  for  the  demand 


270  MERCHANTS  AT  COSSEIR. 

was  SO  great.  They  first  asked  400  dollars, 
then  300,  and  at  length  came  down  to  150 ; 
which,  as  Sir  Hudson  Lowe,  who  had  left 
Cosseir  but  a  few  hours  before  our  arrival,  had 
been  forced  to  give  270,  we  considered  a  very- 
fair  compromise. 

Both  at  the  Divan  and  in  the  coffee-houses, 

C frequently  met  several  very  respectable 

travellers  from  all  countries,  and  some  Hin- 
doos, who  had  come  from  the  Panjaub,  and  were 
here  apparently  upon  mercantile  adventures  and 
speculation.  Indeed,  there  was  an  endless  va- 
riety of  nations  congregated  at  Cosseir,  and 
there  was  the  most  singular  contrast  of  features 
and  complexions  to  be  seen.  Our  host.  See- 
dee  Hoseyn,  presented  the  jet-black  features, 
turned-up  nose,  thick  lips,  white  teeth,  and 
good-hearted  animal  expression  of  the  Negro; 
whilst  the  Chious,  or  homme  d'affaires  had 
the  fine  Greek  outline  of  feature,  and  what 
Lady  Morgan  would  term  "  a  magnificent 
head,"  the  aquiline  nose,  and  the  eye  beaming 
with  the  intellect  and  genius  of  his  country. 
Many  of  the  Moggrebyn  Hadjes  appeared  to 
have  come  from  the  very  heart  of  Africa,  and 
we  much  regretted  that  our  inability  to  speak 
their  language  prevented  oiu*  obtaining  any  in- 
formation concerning  a  country,  the  interior  of 
which  appears  to  elude  European  curiosity  and 


KitENCll  TliAVF.LLEH.  271 

enterprise.  We  had  not  mueli  cause  to  flatter 
ourselves  upon  our  Englisli  features  and  com- 
plexions ;  for  it  is  positively  a  fact,  when  the 
little  dirty  Arab  children  met  us,  they  ran 
Bcreaniing  away,  as  alarmed  at  the  appearance 
of  wliite  people,  as  if  they  liad  seen  that  per- 
sonage whom  we  delight  to  paint  as  black. 

One  day,  as  I  was  sitting  in  the  \'erandah  by 
myself,  the  Chious  suddenly  stood  before  me, 
and  at  the  sight  of  his  companion  I  was  really 
as  mucli  startled,  as  an  Englisli  lady  would  be, 
were  her  butler  unexpectedly  to  introduce  u 
Turk  in  full  costume  into  her  boudoir  In  Lon- 
don. I  had  been  so  long  among  turbans  and 
flowing  robes,  that  the  siglit  of  a  stranger  in 
Frank  costume  almost  friglitened  me.  He 
proved  to  be  a  Frenchman,  either  in  disguise, 
or  one  who  had  seen  better  days,  and  who,  we 
could  have  faneied  from  his  appearance  had 
been  a  military  follower  of  Napole-in.  He 
had  lost  his  party  and  his  way  in  the  Desert, 
and  having  wandered  to  Cosseir  in  a  half- 
starved  state,  hearing  there  were  Franks  at  our 
house,  he  had  come  thither  in  hopes  of  finding 
his  friends  there.  If  I  were  surprised  at  his 
appearance,  nothing  could  exceed  his  astonish- 
ment to  meet  with  an  English  lady  established, 
i  as  it  were,  at  Cosseir.  '*  Mon  Dieu  I  Quel  cou- 
; !"  exclaimed  he,  on   hearing  I  had  posi- 


iZ£, 


ttiviremMd  the  Bum,  ifcniggiii^  liisdioul- 
d0s»  and  liftia^  op  In  hmds  and  eyes  with  all 
die  iiieig%  of  Ids  GoaBlf^  men.  After  some  re- 
ftesfameiit,  he  left  us  in  seaicb  of  Ids  oompa- 
iiiof»v  witfa  whom  he  w»  fortmiate  enough  to 
meet,  and,  on  the  following  day,  he  brought 
them  to  call  upon  usw  Ther  were  two  Ger- 
mans,— Uteruy  adrenturers,  who  were  tniTeU 
ling  in  these  remote  countries^  ultimately  intend- 
ing to  find  their  way  into  Abysania,  of  which 
enterprising  undertaking  they  spoke  with  as 
much  Mang-fircid  as  if  they  were  anranging  a  trip 
ftqm  London  to  Brighton  or  Chdtenham.  Like 
a  true  Frenchman,  our  first  acquaintance  was 
carrying  a  beautiful  little  poodle  about  with 
him«  the  which  was  one  day  stolen  from  him 
whilst  asleep  in  the  bazaar,  and  he  applied  to 

C to  assist  him  in  regaining  it,  who  spoke 

to  the  Cacheff  on  the  subject.  The  latter 
severely  threatened  the  Chious  with  punishment 
if  it  were  not  immediately  found  ;  and  in  about 
half  an  hour,  to  our  great  astonishment,  the  lost 
dog  was  found,  brought  back,  and  restored  to 
its  master. 

In  C 's  visits  to  the  Divan  of  the  Cacheff, 

he  one  morning  exhibited  his  passport,  which 
seemed  to  produce  some  sensation,  and  in  the 
course  of  the  day  the  call  was  returned  in  state. 
We  were  taken  somewhat  by  surprise,  and  I 


VISIT  FROM  THE  CACIIEFF. 


273 


I 


was  sitting,  unveiled,  at  my  usual  occupations, 
when  the  CaehefF  and  his  party  entered  the 
room.  They  were  fine-looking  men,  with  dig- 
nified and  very  respectful  manners.  The  Ca- 
clieff  and  his  principal  attendant  seated  them- 
selves upon  our  cliairs  and  sofas  quite  in  the 
European  fashion,  which  they  seemed  to  pre- 
fer to  their  own  cross-legged  style.    The  one 

talked  to  C ,  whilst  the  other  addressed  his 

conversation  to  me,  and  asked  me,  through  the 
medium  of  Giovanni,  how  I  liked  the  country, 
travelling,  &c. — expressed  his  surprise  at  our 
having  come  from  such  a  distance,  and  at  our 
"Belled,"  or  country,  being  so  far  off.  In  fact, 
the  Cosseir  small-talk  so  very  much  resembled 
that  of  Brighton  or  Hastings,  that  had  it  not  been 
for  the  turbans,  flowing  robes,  and  long  beards 
of  the  heroes  before  ine,  I  should  not  have  per- 
ceived much  difierence  between  their  observa- 
tions and  those  of  common  callers  in  England. 
They  seemed  much  pleased  with  an  atlas  which 
was  on  the  table,  and  took  coffee,  which  we 
offered  them  in  the  Oriental  style,  before  they 

rose  to  take  tlieir  leave.     C and  the  Ca- 

chcff"  soon  became  upon  very  friendly  terms, 
and  previous  to  our  departure  C— —  presented 
him  with  a  pocket  telescope,  with  which  he 
appeared  highly  delighted,  as  it  would  enable 
him  to  watch  the  sliips  that  entered  or  left  the 

VOL.    I.  T 


274  EMBARKATION  ON  THE  RED  SEA. 

harbour.  He  was  extremely  avil  to  us,  and 
rendered  us  every  assistance  in  his  powor,  and 
in  some  degree  protected  us  from  the  impo- 
sitions of  the  Arabs,  who  are  sad  extortioners. 


LETTER  XXX. 

Embarkation  on  the  Red  Sea. — Arab  Dow. — Hadjes  oa 
board. — Manners  and  customs. — Hadje  Ships. — Yambo. 
Grovemor. — Astonishment  of  the  Inhabitants  at  the  si^bt 
of  Franks. — ^Yambowys. — Reservoirs  of  water.— Arab  ar- 
chitecture. —Windmills. — ^Tombs. — Superstitious  customs. 
— Mar  Abraham,  Bishop  of  Jerusalem. 

The  Northwest  wind,  though  favourable  for 
the  voyage  down  the  Red  Sea,  continued  to 
blow  for  several  days  with  too  much  violence 
for  the  timid  navigators  of  the  Red  Sea  to 
dare  to  venture  from  their  port.  At  length, 
after  a  fortnight's  s^our  at  Cosseir,  it  sank 
on  the  13th  of  June,  and  we  "were  summoned 
on  board.  The  night  was  lovely,  the  sea 
beautifully  serene,  and  the  stars  shone  most 
brilliantly,  when  at  10  p.  m.  we  first  adventured 
upon  the  Red  Sea,  and,  entering  a  little  boat, 
were  rowed  by  a  crew  fully  answering  Ali 
Bey*s  description,  "  black  and  thin  as  apes,'' 
to    the   Arab   Dow,    which    was   to    convey 


TllE  AFUB  DUW. 


275 


US  to  Djidda,  Singular,  indeed,  was  its  con- 
struction, and  probably  differing  but  little  from 
the  ships  built  by  King  Solomon  992  years  before 
Christ,  "  in  Ezion-geber,  which  is  beside  Eloth, 
on  the  shore  of  the  Red  Sea. "  It  was  of  a 
large  size,  with  one  trcmenilous  sail,  and  both 
the  prow  and  tlie  stern  projected  exceedingly. 
Heavily  laden  with  merchandize,  and  with 
Hadjes,  of  which  there  were  not  fewer  than 
three  hundred  on  board,  it  was  deeply  im- 
mersed in  the  water,  and  as  the  deck  was  too 
crowded  to  admit  of  my  walking  across  it,  I 
was  positively  compelled  to  enter  my  cabin  by 
a  ladder  suspended  from  the  window. 

The  principal  cabin,  of  which  we  were  to 
have  the  exclusive  use,  was  spacious  and  airy. 
It  had  five  very  good-sized  windows  in  the 
stern,  besides  scuttles  at  the  side ;  but  we  were 
at  first  dreadftdly  annoyed  by  the  smell  of 
bilge  water,  and  we  were  also  much  incom- 
moded with  swarms  of  flies  and  musquitos. 

Considering  the  immeiKe  number  of  |Jersons 
in  our  crazy-loolcing  vessel,  the  silence  was  asto- 
nishing, though  tlie  deck  was  so  crowded  that 
there  literalli/  was  not  room  for  the  Hadjes  to 
lie  down  at  full-length.  There  were  com- 
plexions of  every  hue,  and  features  of  every 
description  on  board.  The  handsome  turbaned 
Turk  ;  the  finely- featured  Greek  renegade  ; 
T  2 


376  Wl'BLAK  GIRLS. 

the  wild  and  intelligent-looking  Bedouin  of  the 
desert ;  the  swarthy  Arab ;  the  coal  black, 
woolly-headed,  flat-countenanced  Negro;  the  sa- 
vage-looking Moor;  the  shghtly -formed,  dusky- 
complexioned  Hindoo ;  and  our  European 
selves.  There  were  also  several  Nubian  women 
and  girls,  who,  having  been  taken  prisoners 
by  Mahomet  AJi's  soldiers,  were  now  sent  for 
sale  to  the  Djidda  slave-market :  tlieir  price 
was  about  two  dollars  a-head.  Naked  from 
the  waist  upwards,  they  were  much  ornament- 
ed with  glass-beads ;  their  figures  were  finely- 
formed  ;  their  head-dress  and  features  much 
resembled  those  in  the  Kings'  tombs  at  Thebes ; 
they  were  more  than  ordinarily  good-looking, 
and  their  whole  appearance  was  pleasing  and 
agreeable.  They  seemed  perfectly  happy,  and 
amused  themselves  with  playing  with  their  in- 
fants, and  if,  par  haTutrd,  our  cabin-door  were 
left  open,  with  watching  my  movements,  ap- 
parently with  much  curiosity  and  interest 
Their  fare  consisted  entirely  of  dry  biscuit, 
which  indeed  appeared  to  be  the  only  food 
used  on  board;  but  we  frequently  sent  them 
things  from  our  stores,  for  which  they  always 

seemed  most  grateful.     Among  them,  C 

one  day  observed  an  African  copying  a  manu- 
script, in  a  small  neat  hand,  which  he  wrote 
from  right  to  hj\  with  great  quickness  and  fii- 


^^m    \v> 


Tl'RKISH  MANNEitS. 

cility,  apparently  undisturbed  by  the  confusion 
and  Babel  of  languages  with  which  he  was  sur- 
rounded. Some  of  the  Hadjes  put  up  a  little 
temporary  awning  upon  deck,  to  protect  them- 
selves from  the  sun  ;  others  lay  down  upon 
their  luggage ;  but  the  privations  and  hard- 
ships necessarily  undergone  in  the  pilgrimage 
to  Mecca  are  really  surprising.  In  a  cabin  in 
front  of  ours  was  a  Turk,  who,  to  judge  from 
the  respect  paid  to  him,  and  the  number  of  his 
attendants,  must  have  been  a  man  of  consider- 
able consequence  in  his  own  country.  His 
manners  were  polished  and  dignified.  He  pass- 
ed his  time  in  reposing  on  his  carpet,  and 
smoking  his  pipe;  and  though  his  suite  occa- 
sionally betrayed  their  curiosity  by  furtively 
taking  a  peep  at  me,  he  never  looked  into  our 
cabin,  but  behaved  with  the  utmost  polite- 
ness. Indeed,  I  think  the  manners  of  the  su- 
perior Turks  I  have  occasionally  met  with,  are 
more  truly  gentlemanly,  and  frcfjuently  prefer- 
able to  those  of  the  generality  of  Europeans. 
There  is  a  grandevir  and  almost  majesty  about 
them,  that  induces  one  to  tliink  tliey  are 
of  a  high  caste ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  they 
always  behave  with  the  utmost  civility  and 
courtesy.  Through  the  medium  of  Chaund 
Hindee,  as  Sheik  Chaund  was  tenned  on  board, 
(our  other  Interpreter  Giovanni  having  left  us  at 


278 


CdlUL  nO;VDSTEAD. 


1 


Cosseir  to  return  to  Malta,)  C and  he  used 

to  have  a  good  deal  of  intercourse  and  conver- 
sation ;  and  a  little  child  belonging  to  himself, 
or  to  some  of  his  party,  paid  daily  visits  to  our' 
cabin  for  almonds  and  raisins  ;  its  friends  seei 
ing  as  much  gratified  with  the  notice  we  took' 
of  it,  as  English  parents  coidd  have  been. 

With  a  fair  wind  we  got  under  weigh  at. 
8  A.  M.  on  the  14th  of  June,  and  sailed  over 
the  coral  roadstead,  the  variegated  surface  of 
which  was  distinctly  visible  through  the  trans- 
parent waves ;  and  fisli,  eighteen  inches  long, 
were  to  be  seen  sporting  among  patclies  of 
white  sand,  and  layers  of  green  sea-weed, 
the  following  day  (June  15th),  the  wind  wa^ 
light  but  fair,  and  we  stretched  over  to  the 
Arabian  coast.  In  the  course  of  the  night  a 
poor  Turk  died,  whose  distressing  groans  we 
had  distinctly  heard  all  the  preceding  day  ;  and 
we  saw  his  corpse,  decently  wrapt  up  in  a  linei|, 
cloth,  float  by  our  cabin  windows,  ^^^e  wei 
told  he  died  of  sea  sickness,  which  was 
very  agreeable  intelligence  to  those  suffei 
at  the  instant  under  the  same  disorder. 

On  the  15th  we  came  in  sight  of  the  Ara- 
bian coast,  and  we  passed  some  islands,  which 
from  their  position  we  imagined  nnist  be  the 
Aurora  Group.  The  wind  freshening  in  the 
evening,  the  Reis  made  for  the  first  creek,  fpj 


and 

ineq^^H 
tver^^^H 

riii^^H 

Aw.  I 


:.fo^^ 


TURKISH  MANNERS. 


270 


it  is  inconceivable  wliat  tiinid  navigators  the 
Arabians  appear  to  be,  and  we  ran  into  a  pretty 
little  bay,  with  several  trees  and  a  fertile  val- 
ley at  the  head  of  it.  Two  or  three  other 
Hadje  ships,  laden  with  pilgrims  and  grain, 
which  had  set  sail  at  the  same  time  with  our- 
selves, kept  company  with  us,  and  always  came 
to  anchor  at  the  same  spot,  and  frequently 
within  a  stone's  throw  of  us,  which  arrange- 
ment was  probably  for  the  safety  and  protec- 
tion of  the  whole.  As  we  could  distinctly  see 
and  be  seen  through  the  large  stern  windows, 
our  respective  movements  furnished  mutual 
amusement  to  all  parties,  for  we  were  as  much 
objects  of  curiosity  to  them  as  they  were  to  us. 
Under  a  large  awning  upon  the  quarter-deck, 
the  superior  Turks  or  Moors  were  to  be  seen 
reposing  in  knots  of  six  or  seven,  each  smoking 
his  pipe,  or  sitting  cross-legged  round  a  huge 
stew-pan,  making  their  common  meal  from 
thence,  every  one  plunging  his  hand  in  sans 
cerevwnie.  AVIicn  tlie  repast  was  concluded, 
water  was  brought  by  their  attendants,  with 
which  they  washed  their  faces,  hands,  and 
mouths,  and  salt  water  was  not  unfrequently 
used  as  a  substitute  for  fresh.  The  women, 
in  the  mean  time,  sat  near  them,  but  half  apart, 
like  Kvc,  in  the  back  ground,  in  full  gossip 
with   each  other,  or  interchanging  courteous 


280  FEMALE  COSTUME. 

salaams  and  salutations  with  myself.  Whai 
their  husbands  had  finished,  they  partook  of 
the  remains  of  the  meal.  Tlie  female  cos- 
tume seemed  principally  to  consist  of  the  blue 
cotton  shift  reaching  to  the  feet,  with  fashion- 
ably large  and  loose  sleeves,  something  in  the 
sediiisante  mode.  A  piece  of  cloth  thrown  over 
the  head  was  worn  like  a  mantilla,  and  the  face 
was  concealed  by  tlie  mask  or  veil,  tied  up  be- 
tween the  eyes.  Those  tliat  were  good-look- 
ing took  care  to  display  enough  of  their  coun- 
tenances to  show  that  they  were  so,  coquet- 
tishly  concealing  the  tip  of  the  nose  and  the 
mouth,  but  leaving  the  contour  of  the  head  and 
face  distinctly  visible.  Some  of  them  had  even 
a  considerable  degree  of  elegance  in  their  dress 
and  appearance,  and  had  their  hair  very  prettily- 
braided  down  their  backs.  These  were  proba- 
bly Arabs  or  Moors  from  their  dress,  and  from 
their  being  less  immured  than  the  Turkish 
belles,  of  which  latter  we  saw  several  occasion- 
ally emerging  from  the  recesses  of  their  cabins, 
attired  in  very  splendid  dresses,  consisting  of 
loose  silk  drawers  and  vests,  with  immense 
white  muslin  veils  gracefully  tlirown  over  the 
whole  figure. 

After  we  came  to  anchor,  which  we  gene- 
rally did  a  few  minutes  before  the  otlier  vessels 
arrived,  it  was  really  an  extremely  pretty  sight 


I 


I 

t 


TURKISH  lilvVD-DKESS.  281 

to  see  them  come  in.  A  wild  and  not  unhar- 
monious  hurrah  was  raised,  as  in  full  sail  with 
the  quickness  of  lightning  they  glanced  past  our 
stern  windo%vs.  This  was  returned  by  our  crew  ; 
their  immense  sail  was  instantaneously  lower- 
ed and  furled,  and  silence  succeeded  to  tlie 
pageant  show,  till  broken  by  the  approach  of 
another  and  of  another  vessel.  Tlie  Turkish 
head-dress,  composed  of  a  red  skull-cap,  Avith 
generally  a  purple  tassel  at  the  top,  and  im- 
mense rolls  of  white  musUn  gracefully  disposed 
around  in  most  becoming  folds,  is  extremely 
handsome,  and  the  decks  of  the  Dews  and 
Biiglars  had,  literally  speaking,  very  much  the 
appearance  of  beds  of  tulips ;  for  being  so 
crowded,  nothing  was  seen  of  the  passengers 
on  board  but  their  turbaiied  heads. 

At  5  A.M.  on  June  17th,  with  a  fair  and 
steady  wind,  and  a  thermometer  about  84",  we 
again  set  sail,  and  passed  between  the  shore  and 
an  extensive  coral  reef,  about  two  feet  above 
water,  which  justified  the  Reis  in  having  come 
to  anchor  on  the  preceding  evening,  with 
which  precaution  we  were  somewhat  disposed 
to  murmur  at  the  moment.  At  about  3  v.m. 
a  stiff  breeze  brought  us  in  siglit  of  Yam- 
bo,  which  our  crew  ]>roiiounced  Zamboo,  and, 
the  sea  being  high,  we  ran  down  the  outside  of 
another  coral  reef,   between  which  and    the 


main  land  was  a  backwater  of  the  most  lovely 
sea-{,'reen  imaginable,  and  tliough  unfortu- 
nately too  shallow  for  our  vessel,  presenting  a 
most  enviable  degree  of  serenity  and  calmness 
within,  whilst  we  were  bufFetting  with  rough 
and  boisterous  waves  without. 

In  the  evening  we  reached  Yambo,  which  is' 
in  north  latitude  24"  7'  6",  and  among  nume- 
rous other  "Dows,  Buglars,  and  vessels  of  every 
size  and  description,  we  came  to  anchor  in 
about  three  fathoms  of  water,  not  two  stones' 
throw  from  the  shore.  The  town  from  the 
water  had  not  an  unpretty  appearance.  It  is 
situated  to  the  north  of  a  deep  bay,  running 
from'  north-east  to  south-west,  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  in  depth  and  two  miles  wide ;  and  it 
is  ajiparently  far  better  calculated  for  shipping 
than  Cosseir,  for  there  were  several  three- 
masted  ships  here,  of  which  we  saw  none  there. 
C  — — ,  with  the  other  passengers,  immediately 
went  on  shore  and  paid  a  visit  to  the  Governor, 
a  respectable-looking  old  Turk,  with  a  long 
white  beard  sweeping  his  breast,  who  received 
him   very  graciously.     He  was  very   friendly 

and  communicative,  and  told  C the  town 

was  under  the  government  of  Mahomet  All, 
but  that  its  exports  were  very  trifling,  consist- 
ing merely  of  a  few  dates ;  tliat  they  had 
seldom   more    than    fifteen    days'    rain    in  the 


I 
I 


I 


EFFECTS  OF  KEFRACTION. 


283 


course  of  the  year,  occasionally  none,  and  some- 
times cold  weather  for  a  month  logetlier  ;  and 
that  the  inhabitants  were  chiefly  Wahabbees. 
He  observed  that  Kledina  was  far  better  worth 
seeing  than  Yambo,  and  strongly  reconiinended 

C to    visit  it ;    but    upon   Ins  answering, 

that  being  a  Frank  and  a  Cliristian  he  was 
not  aware  he  might  do  so,  the  Governor  ap- 
peared a  little  confused,  and  saying  he  did  not 
know  he  was  a  Frank,  the  which  however  he 
might  have  seen  by  his  dress,  he  immediately 
changed  the  conversation. 

The  effects  of  refraction  upon  the  sun's  ap- 
pearance upon  this  coast  were  really  very  sur- 
prising and  amusing.  This  evening  it  assumed 
the  shape  of  a  musliroom  as  it  sank  in  the  west! 
In  fact,  we  scarcely  ever  saw  it  set  in  a  regularly 
circular  form.  The  thermometer  whilst  we  were 
here  was  about  90°. 

The  following  day,  in  the  afternoon,  I  ac- 
companied C upon  shore,  but    from  the 

sensation  my  appearance  created  at  Yam  bo, 
I  fancy  I  must  have  been  the  first  and  only 
Englishwoman  that  ever  traversed  its  streets. 
The  Turks  smoking  in  the  coffee-houses,  whose 
apathy  is  seldom  disturbed  by  any  passing 
object  or  event,  laid  down  their  pipes  to  gaze 
at  me ;  the  more  vivacious  Arabs  followed  us 
with  looks  of  curiosity  ;  the  children  thronged 


EGYPTIAN  GAUANTHY. 

round  us,  capering  and  dancing  iu  ecstatic 
delight;  the  women  stopped,  stood  still,  and 
stared  in  mute  astonishment;  nay,  the  old 
Governor  himself,  who  was  gravely  smoking 
in  his  Divan,  starting  with  surprise,  thrust  his 
body  half  out  of  the  window  at  which  he  was 
reposing,  and  then,  with  activity  and  curiosity 
worthy  an  European,  darting  across  the  room, 
suddenly  appeared  at  another,  to  ascertain  who 
and  what  the  singular  personage  was  that  had 
just  landed  in  his  territories.  The  strictest 
politeness  was  however  observed  towards  us, 
and  when  any  of  the  children  came  innocently 
up  to  us  to  gaze  in  our  faces,  as  if  to  find  out 
what  we  were,  some  of  the  most  respectable  in 
the  crowd  prevented  them  from  annoying 
and  occasionally  one  or  two,  the  Sindbads  of  thi 
place,  who  had  in  their  day  probably  wandered 
up  to  Suez  or  Alexandria,  and  there  seen  Euro- 
pean women,  as  they  drove  them  off  with  a  pro- 
tecting and  patronising  manner,  significantly 
but  exultingly  exclaimed  to  the  bystanders,"  Sig- 
nora  !"  as  much  as  to  say  "  I  know  her  name. 
Yambo  is  a  completely  Arab  town,  very  fei 
foreigners  residing  here.  The  Yambowys  eon-1 
sist  principally  of  the  Bedouin  tribe  Djeheym 
who  dwell  in  the  neighbourhood ;  they  wear 
the  keffie,  or  green  and  yellow  striped  hand- 
kerchiefs upon  theii'  heads  in  the  mantilla  style, 


I 


I 


YAMBU  AHCIIITECTUKE,  285 

of  which  we  saw  some  specimens  at  Cosseir; 
a  white  abba  or  bernouse  on  their  shoulders, 
and  a  vest  of  blue  or  coloured  cotton  under  it, 
with  a  leathern  girdle  round  their  middle. 
They  possess  many  ships,  which  navigate  and 
trade  with  the  different  ports  along  the  Red 
Sea;  their  provisions  are  almost  entirely  im- 
(Ktrted,  but  we  could  procure  neither  fruit  nor 
vegetables  of  amj  kind  liere,  and,  indeed,  there 
seemed  nothing  in  the  shops  but  grain  of  dif- 
ferent sorts  exposed  for  sale,  tlie  greater  part 
of  which  came  from  Egypt  and  Abyssinia. 
There  were  also  some  tolerable  attempts  at 
pastry.  Tlie  inhabitants  seemed  very  poor,  and 
we  saw  some  unfortunate  wretches,  wlio  were 
probably  destitute  Hadjes,  Uterally  biting  the 
ground,  as  if  from  starvation. 

The  streets  are  very  narrow,  and  the  houses 
are  built  either  of  a  sort  of  madrepore,  or  of 
rough  white  stone,  which  is  full  of  fossils. 
They  are  low,  and  few  are  more  than  one  story 
high,  with  flat  mud  roofs;  as  the  windows  do 
not  often  look  into  the  street,  they  have  a  dull 
appearance.  In  the  old  buildings  we  saw  seve- 
ral very  curious  specimens  of  Arabesque  archi- 
tecture, the  round,  tiie  pointed,  and  the  elliptic 
arch,  though  in  the  more  modem  buildings  the 
square  window  appeared  to  have,  in  some 
degree,  superseded  this  antique  form.    The  Ba- 


286  WALLS  OF  YAMBO. 

laar  is  a  very  poor  place,  and,  as  in  Cairo,  the 
owners  sit  upon  stone  platforms  in  front,  under 
an  awning,  selling  their  goods.  The  coffee- 
houses in  which  the  inhabitants  were  smok- 
ing, w»e  merdy  thatched  sheds  supported  by 
wooden  posts. 

The  walls  of  Yambo  are  perhaps  three  miles 
in  circumference,  and  enclose  a  great  deal  of 
waste  land ;  they  seemed  at  this  time  to  be  in 
a  very  dilapitated  state,  and  bore  marks  of  the 
AVahabite  attacks,  there  being  breaches  through 
which  a  troop  of  horse  might  pass :  if  in  good 
repair  they  might  protect  the  town  from  in- 
cursions of  cavalry,  but  probably  not  from  esca- 
lade.    There  is  no  ditch,  and  they  are  flanked 
at  intervals  with  square  bastions   and   round 
towers,  which,  though  in  a  ruined  state,   are 
exactly  similar  to  those  stiU  to  be  seen  in  Nor- 
man castles  in  England.     The  gateways,  evi- 
dently  very   old,   present   the  regular  Gothic 
arch  key-stone,  curious  devices  and  arabesque 
tracery  of  those  of  our  Cathedrals ;  indeed  tlie 
sentences  in  Arabic  carved  in  different  parts 
closely  resemble  and  appear  like  our  ornamen- 
tal fret-work.     One  of  them  only  required  ivy, 
for  us  to  have  imagined  ourselves  passing  under 
the  picturesque  arched  gateway  of  an  English 
abbey.     We  went  out  of  the  Bab  el  Medina, 
or  Medinah   Gate,  to  the  East,  and  returned 


KESF.in'OIUS  FOIt  WATF.it.  287 

by  the  Bab  el  Masri  to  the  North  of  the  town. 
An  extensive  sandy  and  arid  desert  presented 
itself  to  our  view  outside  the  walls,  upon 
wliith  no  sign  of  vegetation  was  to  be  seen ; 
and  upon  this  pathless  wilderness  alone  might 
be  perceived  in  the  distance,  a  solitary  camel 
and  its  driver  wending  their  slow  and  toilsome 
way  towards  Yambo.  This  plain,  in  the  direc- 
tion of  Medina,  was  bounded  by  a  singular 
and  fantastic  range  of  hills,  apparently  about  ten 
miles  distant,  which  from  their  conical  figure 
and  other  circumstances  struck  us  as  evidently 
of  volcanic  production,  and  we  subsequent- 
ly found  that  Burckhardt  mentions  that  this 
country  appeared  to  him  as  if  burnt  with  fire, 
and  that  on  inquiry  he  had  ascertained  that  an 
Earthquake,  and  an  eruption  of  a  Volcano,  ac- 
companied by  a  river  of  lava,  had  taken  place 
in  this  neighbourhood  in  the  middle  of  the 
thirteenth  century. 

About  five  minutes  walk  ftom  the  Medina 
gate  are  large  reservoirs  for  water,  which  are 
excavated  in  the  madrepore  rock,  twenty  feet 
deep,  thirty  long,  and  fifteen  wide,  arched 
over.  Of  these,  which  are  private  property, 
and  of  which  we  counted  seventeen,  several 
are  in  ruins.  We  met  a  man  with  a  donkey 
carrying  mussuks  of  water  from  thence,  and 
as  we  had  not  tasted  good  water  since  we  left 


288  A  SOUTARY  FLOWER. 

the  Nile,  we  gladly  purchased  some,  and  I  do 
not  think  I  ever  in  my  life  tasted  any  thing 
half  so  delicious  as  that  which  I  drank  in  tke 
hollow  of  my  hand  (for  thirsty  as  I  was,  I  could 
not  resolve  to  use  the  man's  wooden  bowl,) 
at  the  Medina  gate  of  Yambo.  This  precious 
liquid  is  sold  in  measures,  and  as  it  is  the 
luxury  as  well  as  the  necessary  of  life  in  Arabia 
and  other  Eastern  Countries,  the  frequent  dis- 
putes narrated  in  the  Bible  between  the  herds* 
men  of  Isaac  and  Abimelech,  and  others,  for 
the  possession  of  a  well  of  water,  seemed  to  us 
in  this  thirsty  land  no  longer  unnatural.  Look- 
ing down  into  one  of  the  reservoirs,  I  espied 
a  flower,  positively  a  flowery  one  single  flower 
growing  in  solitude,  and  literally  "  wasting  its 
sweetness  on  the  desert  air."  The  guide  jump- 
ed down  and  procured  it  for  me,  and  it  was, 
really,  the  only  flower,  weed,  or  sign  of  vegeta- 
tion we  saw  at  Yambo,  It  appeared  to  be  a 
sort  of  Aaron's  rod.  When  our  goats  saw  it  in 
my  hand,  they  flew  at  it  most  voraciously  ;  for, 
poor  things,  they  had  not  seen  green  meat  since 
they  had  left  the  fertile  banks  of  the  Nile. 

In  another  direction  we  were  quite  startled  to 
see  two  or  three  windmills,  exactly  resembling 
those  we  had  seen  erected  by  the  Knights  of  St. 
John,  at  Malta  and  Augusta.  I  had  previously 
been  told  that  the  windmill  came  originally  from 


BAY  UF  YAMBO. 


289 


the  East;  but  I  believe,  in  Knglaiid  people 
are  not  generally  aware  of  the  Saracenic  origin 
of  this  universal  and  very  useful  machine. 

In  the  streets  we  saw  the  Mohatta,  or  pan- 
niers, in  which  the  Arab  ladies  ride,  suspended 
on  each  side  of  a  camel.  The  ladies  sit  cross- 
legged  on  them  in  the  Oriental  fashion.  We 
saw  also  the  Shevria,  or  sofa,  which  is  placed  on 
the  back  of  the  camel,  and  in  which  All  Bey 
travelled  from  Djidda  to  Mecca,  roofed  over 
with  boughs,  but  the  motion  of  which  he 
found  almost  insupportable.  Many  of  the  Arab 
Dovvs,  which  accompanied  us,  had  Takhtrouans 
suspended  outside,  similar  in  construction  to 
that  I  had  used  in  the  Desert,  though  I  saw 
none  equal  to  mine,  which  we  parted  with  at 
Cosseir  to  Seedee  Hoseyn,  for  fourteen  dollars, 
the  original  price  having  been  forty -five  at  Cairo. 

The  moon,  nearly  at  full,  was  throwing  a  sil- 
very flood  of  radiance  over  the  Bay  of  Yambo, 
whilst  daylight  still  lingered  in  the  west,  and 
the  night  was  so  lovely  when  we  re-entered 
our  boats,  that  we  were  induced  to  row  about 
a  little  before  we  returned  to  our  prison-ship, 
which  was  a  poor  exchange  for  the  pure  and 
ambient  air  of  heaven.  The  oars  were  jiullcd 
by  an  Arab  child  of  five  or  six  years  old,  and 
the  little  boy  exerted  himself  so  manfully,  that 

VOL,   I.  V 


290  BURIAL-GROUND. 

he  really  well  deserved  the  extra  bucksheesh  we 
bestowed  on  him  for  his  labours. 

The  following  evening  we  again  went  upon 
shore,  and  as  we  landed  exactly  under  the  Go- 
vernor's house,  all  the  females  of  his  family 
flocked  to  the  window  to  gaze  at  us  ;  however, 

upon  C 's  looking  up  at  them,  to  indulge 

his  curiosity  also,  they  immediately  disappear- 
ed, and  fled  into  the  recesses  of  their  Haram. 
We  saw  the  Gk)vemor's  stables,  little  better 
than  sheds,  in  which  were  half-a-dozen  horses, 
but  none  of  that  superior  description  we  should 
have  expected  to  have  seen  in  an  Arab  town. 
Then  passing  by  the  windmills  and  some 
Hadje  tents,  we  took  a  ramble  along  the  sea- 
coast  for  a  couple  of  miles,  to  the  burial-ground, 
which,  close  to  the  sea,  was  small,  and  present- 
ed no  tombs  of  magnificence.  The  principal 
one,  that  of  one  of  their  Peers  or  Saints,  was 
in  ruins.  The  whole  scene  was  one  of  the 
greatest  desolation,  presenting  a  barren  and 
desert  waste,  upon  which  grew  nothing  but  a 
coarse  plant,  which  I  imagined  to  be  a  species 
of  salicornia,  which  our  goats  refused  to  touch. 
The  shore  was  covered  with  millions  of  shells, 
so  minute  that  it  required  close  inspection 
to  ascertain  that  they  were  not  particles  of 
sand.  There  were  also  several  of  larger  dimen- 
sions,  but  few  in  a  perfect  state,  having  proba- 


I 


SUPERSTmOUS  PRACTICES.  291 

bly  been  broken  by  tlie  violence  of  tbe  waves. 
Returning  tbrougb  the  town,  we  had  to  cross 
some  places  so  filthy,  and  so  offensive  to  every 
sense,  that  it  really  required  some  resolution  to 
pass ;  but  the  Arabs  seem  innately  and  natu- 
rally a  dirty  race,  and  probably  the  frequent 
ablutions  commanded  by  Mahomet,  were  ap- 
pointed by  him  in  consequence.  They  appear 
to  be  still  much  in  the  same  state  of  simpUcity, 
and  perhaps  barbarity,  as  in  the  time  of  their 
Prophet,  whose  fare  consisted  of  dates  and  wa- 
ter, and  his  luxuries  of  honey  and  milk,  and 
when  one  of  his  successors,  Omar,  with  a  cruse 
of  water,  set  off  on  his  red  camel  to  conquer 
the  Holy  Land  of  Palestine. 

When  the  ill-fated  Burckhardt  was  here  in 
1815.  he  mentions  that  Yambo  was  then  deso- 
lated by  the  plague,  and  he  describes  a  curious 
ceremony  of  a  she-eamel,  thickly  covered  with 
all  sorts  of  ornaments,  bells,  feathers,  &c.  being 
carried  in  procession  through  the  city,  and  after- 
wards led  to  the  burial-ground,  slaughtered  there, 
and  its  flesh  thrown  to  the  vultures  and  dogs, 
the  Arabs,  who  are  very  superstitious,  hoping 
the  plague  would  take  refuge  in  the  body  of 
the  camel,  and  that  by  killing  the  animal  they 
should  get  rid  of  the  contagious  disorder. 
Bruce,  about  sixty  years  ago,  mentions  some- 
thing  of  a  similar  nature  taking  place  after  a 
u  2 


292  >IAR  ABRAHAM, 

violent  quarrel  in  the  town:  the  belliger- 
ent parties  seized  a  camel,  loaded  it  with  re- 
proaches, accused  it  of  having  been  the  cause 
and  origin  of  the  dispute,  and  at  length,  putting 
an  end  to  its  life,  amicably  settled  their  mis- 
understanding. There  seems  something  of  the 
nature  of  the  scape-goat  of  the  Israelites  in 
this  singular  ceremony. 

Having    been   told    there  was  a  Christian 

Sahib  in  one  of  the  vessels  at  anchor,  C 

paid  him  a  visit,  expecting  to  meet  with  a 
countryman,  but  he  found  he  was  an  Armenian 
Bishop,  who  we  subsequently  ascertained  was 
the  very  Mar  Abraham,  whom  Bishop  Heber 
frequently  mentions  in  his  diary,  as  the  envoy 
who  was  sent  with  visitorial  powers  by  the 
Armenian  Patriarch  of  Ararat  to  the  Eastern 
churches  in  India,  a  suffragan  dependant  on 
the  Patriarch  of  Jerusalem.  He  was  returning 
from  Calcutta  to  his  diocese,  in  a  very  good 
native  vessel  which  he  had  entirely  to  himself, 
and  he  seemed  very  comfortable  with  his  rose- 
wood writing-desk  and  poll-parrots  in  his  cabin. 
He  spoke  very  tolerable  Hindoostanee,  and  was 
very  communicative. 

At  the  pastoral  hour  of  6  a.  m.  on  the  fol- 
lowing day,  did  Father  Abraham  of  Jerusalem 

return  C 's  visit;  but  unfortunately,  as  I 

was  not  up,  we  could  not  ask  him  into  our 


AN  AKMENLAN  BISHOP. 


293 


cabin.  Probably  it  was  as  well,  for  it  would 
Lave  been  a  singular  thing  fur  a    Bishop    to 

have    clambered    in    at    the  window.      C 

conversed  with  him  from  thence,  and  from 
what  1  could  sec,  he  appeared  to  be  about 
fifty,  a  thin  spare  man,  with  an  intelligent  coun- 
tenance, and  with  highly  pleasing  and  recom- 
mendatory manners  and  address.  At  Yambo, 
the  sea-port  to  Medina,  one  of  the  head  quar- 
ters and  strongholds  of  Mahometanism,  sur- 
rounded by  infidels,  it  was  a  singular  place  to 
meet  with  the  Bishop  of  Jerusalem  !  he,  our- 
selves, and  our  Portuguese  cook,  being  probably 
the  only  Christians  among  several  thousand 
Malionietans.  It  reminded  us  of  the  early  ages 
of  Christianity,  when  there  were  but  a  few  fol- 
lowers of  Christ  upon  earth ;  and  though  he 
was  of  the  Armenian  and  we  of  the  English 
Church,  the  blessed  Saviour  in  whom  we 
mvitually  believed,  fonned  a  most  interesting 
bond  of  union  between  us. 


294  THE  RED  SEA. 


LETTER  XXXI. 

Coast  of  the  Hedjaz. — Beauty  of  the  waters  of  the  Red  Sea. 
— Coral  Reefs.  —  Bay  of  Arabok.  —  Jaharmo. —  Initiatory 
rite  of  the  Hadje.  —  Assumption  of  the  Ihram.— •Barren 
shore. — Difficulty  of  return  to  the  Arab  Dow. 

We  set  sail  again  on  June  20th,  and  in  the 
miseries  of  an  Arab  Dow,  we  learned  to  regret 
even  Yambo,  poor  and  wretched  as  it  was. 
The  atmosphere  of  the  Red  Sea  was^articularly 
enervating  and  dispiriting,  and  though  the 
thermometer  only  ranged  from  85®  to  90®,  yet 
we  felt  more  overcome  with  the  heat  than  in 
the  Desert,  where,  though  it  had  risen  to  105% 
the  air  was  pure  and  elastic.  When  the  south 
wind  blew,  every  thing  was  moist  and  clammy, 
and  a  sort  of  heated  fog  or  vapour  accompa- 
nied it,  which  was  very  heavy  and  oppressive. 
This  climate  is  particularly  unhealthy,  and  a 
slight  scratch  here  will  become  a  bad  wound, 
and  even  a  common  musquito  bite  will  fre-  * 
quently  be  attended  with  most  unpleasant  con- 
sequences. 

The  water  of  the  Red  Sea  is  remarkably 
clear  and  pellucid,  and  it  was  beautiful  to  see 
the  fish  disporting  in  the  sea-green  waves,  amid 


IIADJE.  295 

gaily-coloured  coral  reefs,  which,  however,  the 
superstitious  Arabs  shun  with  horror  and  dread, 
for  there,  do  they  deem,  dwell  evil  spirits,  who, 
their  fanciful  imagination  teaches  them  to  sup- 
pose, love  to  lure  their  vessels  to  destruction. 

The  term  Hadje  is  derived  from  tlie  Iledjaz, 
the  Holy  Land  of  the  Mahometans,  which  is 
a  barren,  unsightly,  and  dismal -looking  coast, 
with  "  an  iron  sky,  and  a  soil  of  brass,  where 
the  clouds  drop  no  water,  and  the  land  yields 
no  vegetation."  An  occasional  village  and  a 
few  date-trees  are  all  that  are  ever  seen  to  en- 
liven the  scene,  and  the  recollection  of  the 
fresh  springs,  luxuriant  verdure,  and  shady 
groves  of  my  native  country,  frequently  tor- 
mented me  with  the  contrast  they  offered  to 
all  around. 

We  ran  down  the  coast  for  fifty  miles,  keep- 
ing in  view  a  range  of  barren  mountains,  about 
two  or  three  thousand  foot  high,  apparently  a 
continuation  of  the  chain  we  saw  at  Yambo. 
At  6  P.  M.  we  came  to  anchor  within  a  reef  of 
coral  rocks,  two  or  three  miles  from  the  coast, 
and  eleven  or  twelve  in  length,  running  parallle 
witli  the  shore.  Similar  reefs  were  out  at  sea, 
level  with  its  surface,  and  occasionally  two  or 
three  feet  above  the  waves.  Tlie  back-water 
formed  by  them  was  smooth,  and  of  the  most 
beautiful    sea-green    imaginable,   four  or  five 


296  BAY  OF  ARABOK. 

fathoms  deep,  and  the  bottom,  composed  of  sand 
and  corals,  was  distinctly  visible.  C ^'s  fish- 
ing line,  not  unfrequently,  brought  up  lai^ 
pieces  of  the  latter.  If  these  reefs  continue  to 
increase,  they  must  in  all  probability  some  day 
become  connected  with  the  main  land,  and  in 
process  of  time,  the  Red  Sea  may  disappear 
from  the  face  of  the  globe.  I  believe  it  is  as- 
certained that  its  ancient  dimensions  have  con- 
siderably diminished  in  size. 

With  a  vertical  sun,  on  the  20th  of  June,  did 
we  enter  the  tropics,  and  during  the  whole  day 
the  thermometer  stood  at  86®.  We  got  under 
weigh  at  dawn,  and  it  was  with  some  difficulty 
we  kept  clear  from  the  outer  reefs,  from  one  of 
which  we  were  at  one  time  but  a  few  yards 
distant.  We  were  here  for  some  time  becalm- 
ed, till  a  favourable  breeze  springing  up,  it 
carried  us  twenty  miles  beyond  the  first  reef 
into  the  vicinity  of  another  about  a  mile 
long. 

At  4  p.  M.,  accompanied  by  five  other  Dows 
laden  like  ourselves  with  grain  and  Hadjes^ 
we  passed  through  a  narrow  strait,  into  the 
extensive  Bay  of  Arabok  or  Rabogh,  which  is 
about  three  miles  wide,  and  perhaps  nine  in 
circumference ;  and  here  we  immediately  came 
to  anchor  close  to  the  shore,  which  presented 
to  view,  a  low,  level,  sandy,  and  desert  plain. 


TIIF,  JAIIARMO. 


■297 


Upon  this  spot  tlie  first  rites  of  the  Mahometan 
Hadje  commence.  All  the  passengers,  and  we 
among  the  rest,  hurried  instantly  on  shore,  and 
as  there  could  not  liave  been  fewer  than  two 
thousand  persons  assembled,  the  scene  of  con- 
fusion that  ensued  is  almost  inconceivable,  and 
quite  indescribable.  Some  fell  to  pitching 
tents  and  temporary  awnings,  others  to  kind- 
hng  fires  in  small  holes  upon  the  sand,  whUst 
a  band  of  Bedouin  Arabs  came  down  with 
provisions  from  tlie  neighbouring  village  of 
Arabok  or  Rabogh,  which  appeared  to  be  about 
four  or  five  miles  distant,  and  where  some  date- 
trees  were  visible.  They  offered  for  sale,  mut- 
ton cut  up  in  small  pieces  of  a  quarter  of  a 
pound  eacli,  wood,  water,  &c.  all  tied  up  in 
sheep-skins.  The  evening  was  damp  and  cliilly, 
when  in  about  half  an  hour  after  their  landing, 
the  pilgrims  began  to  perform  the  first  rite  of 
the  Hadje,  termed  Jaharmo.  Stripping  off 
their  warm  and  gay-coloured  robes  and  tur- 
bans, which  were  carefully  tied  up  in  bundles 
by  their  attendants,  they  plunged  into  the  sea, 
where,  after  bathing  and  praying,  or  rather  re- 
citing certain  forms  of  prayer,  they  invested 
themselves  in  the  Ihram,  which  is  a  long  piece 
of  cloth  loosely  wrapt  roimd  their  waists,  such 
as  is  worn  by  the  commonest  Arabs.  Some 
few  threw  an  additional  and  similar  piece  over 


298  THE  JAIIARMO. 

their  shoulders,  like  a  lady*s  lace-scarf.     Tlus 
rite  is  said  to  have  been  instituted  by  Mahomet 
to  inculcate  humility  in  his  followers,  but  the 
sudden  transition  from  the  warm  woollen  gar- 
ments of  the  Turk  to  the   thin  cotton  Ihram 
must  be  very  trying  to  the  constitution,  and 
the  more  we  saw  of  the  privations  undergone 
by  the  pilgrims,  the  more  were  we  convinced 
that  the  Hadje  is  no  light  affair,  and  that  con* 
siderable  enthusiasm   and  resolution   must  be 
necessary  to  enable  them  to  support  the  hard* 
ships  incident  to  the  undertaking.     Our  ser- 
vant, Sheik  Chaund,  was  much  importuned  to 
turn   Hadje;   but    fortunately   for  us,   as   we 
should  thereby  have  been  deprived  of  his  ser- 
vices, he  declined  it,  for,  as  he  told  his  master 
with  much  naivete,  "  He  was  a  young  man 
now,  and  did  not  care  for  such  things  ;  some 
years  hence,  when  he  was  an  old  one,  he  should 
think  about  the  duties  of  his  religion.'*     The 
metamorphosis  which  took  place  in  the  appear* 
ance  of  the  passengers,  in  consequence  of  the 
assumption  of  the  Ihram,  was  most  amusing, 
and  even  ridiculous.     He  who  left  the  ship  a 
well-dressed,   majestic,   and    handsome-looking 
man,  came  back  the  bald,  shivering,  shaking 
Hadje ;  and,  stripped  of  his  Turkish  trappings, 
which  certainly  are  most  imposing  and  becom- 
ing, many  a  dignified  and  magnificent-looking 


INiTIATOKY  KITE  OF  THE  HADJE.  299 

personage  was  transformed,  as  by  a  magic  spell, 
into  a  common-place,  mean,  insignificant-look- 
ing figure,  seeming  as  if  lialf  ashamed  of  his 
appearance,  and  not  knowing  what  to  make  of 
himself  when  divested  of  his  flowing  robes. 
After  bathing,  the  Hadjes  fell  piously  to 
scratching  up  the  sand  like  so  many  dogs,  and 
forming  it  into  little  heaps,  sometimes  to  the 
number  of  a  hundred.  To  judge  from  the  dis- 
turbed state  of  the  surface  of  the  sand  in  con- 
sequence, the  pilgrims  must  have  been  cither 
great  sinners  or  great  saints.  Little  do  our 
English  children  think,  when  they  are  making 
what  they  term  "  dirt  pies,"  that  they  are  lite- 
rally only  performing  one  of  the  initiatory  rites 
of  the  Mahometan  Hadje.  The  women,  re- 
tiring to  some  Uttle  distance.apparently  went 
through  the  same  ceremonies,  as  we  saw  them 
plunging  into  the  sea,  whilst  their  friends  kept 
guard  over  them,  and  waved  to  intruders  to 
keep  at  a  distance. 

Although  we  were  sadly  pushed  about  in 
the  crowd,  which  we  penetrated  with  some  dif- 
iiculty,  yet  they  all  treated  us  with  much  civi- 
lity and  respect,  notwithstanding  we  were  the 
only  Christians  among  sucli  numbers  of  Ma- 
hometan devotees.  At  length,  having  effected 
our  escape  from  thence,  we  wandered  along 
the  barren  and  desolate  coast  of  the  Bay  of 


300  SIIELL-FISII. 

Arabok,  where  the  only  sign  of  vegetation  was 
a  coarse  sort  of  salicornia,  which  from  the  cir- 
cumstance of  the  goats  devouring  it  i^ith  avid- 
ity, whilst  they  rejected  that  at  Yambo,  we  were 
induced  to  believe  must  be  a  different  species. 
The  shore  was  covered  with  the  debris  of  laige 
shells,  few  of  which  were  in  a  perfect  conditioD, 
but  in  such  numbers,  that  regular  hillocks,  like 
the  Mount  Testaceo  in  Rome,  were  formed  by 
them.     It  was  also  positively  swarming  with 
shell-fish  of  every  sort  and  description,  and  they 
were  gambolling  about,  and  seemed  to  be  en- 
joying  life  exceedingly.     We  likewise  saw  in- 
numerable quantities  of  emmets ;  so  that,  bar- 
ren as  the  spot  appeared,  it  was  by  no  means 
destitute  of  insect  life. 

It  was  with  the  utmost  difficulty  that  we 
effected  our  return   through  the  crowd,   and 
with  still  more  that  we  got  into  the  boat  that 
was  to  take  us  to  our  ship ;  but  when  in,  so 
many  crowded  after   us,   that   I   literally  ex- 
pected my  end  was  to  resemble  that  of  the 
Countess  of  Perche,  the  daughter  of  Henry  I., 
who  was  drowned  by  too  many  pressing  into 
her  bark.     The  clamour  was  tremendous.     Ser- 
vants flinging  in  the  bundles  of  their  masters' 
gay  garments,  or  searching  for  them  in   the 
boat;    those   masters    quite   in   consternation, 
looking    as  if  they  did  not    know   what  to 


itETURN  TO  TIIE  DOW.  301 

think  of  themselves  since  their  change  of  at- 
tire. The  hoatmen,  stalking  about  in  every 
direction  over  the  heads  of  the  passengers,  and 
trampUng  under  foot,  the  bundles  so  valuable 

in  the  eyes  of  tlie  owners.     In  vain  did  C , 

ill  his  anxious  solicitude  for  my  safety,  loudly 
vociferate,  "  Madame!  Madame!"  he  spoke  to 
the  winds,  for  French  is  quite  unknown  in 
these  countries.  "  Signora"  was  better  under- 
stood, and  a  respectable-looking  man,  after  he 
had  secured  accommodation  for  himself,  did  all 
he  could  to  protect  the  poor  Signora  from  the 
rude  crowd. 

It  is  singular  enough  that  whilst  French  is 
SO  universally  understood  by  Europeans,  it 
should  be  of  so  little  utility  in  Oriental  coun- 
tries.    Italian,  on   the  other  hand,  is  of  great 

use  in  Egypt  and  Arabia,  and  C found  his 

Hindoostanee  also  very  serviceable  to  him,  as 
we  met  many  Indian  Hadjcs  and  traders  hi 
the   Red    Sea,     An  African    sailor   here,   told 

C that  Mahomet  ^Vli's  government  is  very 

superior  to  that  of  the  Arabs ;  that  he  sup- 
presses robbery,  murder,  and  injustice,  whilst 
the  latter  systematically  oppress  their  subjects, 
and  extort  money  from  all  under  their  au- 
thority. 

The  wife  of  the  Reis,  not  being  able  to 
breach   her  cabin,  which  was  beneath  ours,  in 


302         THE  WIFE  OF  THE  REIS. 

consequence  of  the  dense  crowd  upon  deck, 
sent  to  request  leave  to  be  permitted  to  make 
her  entree  into  the  ship  through  our  windows. 
We  of  course  granted  this  permission,  but 
though  C — -'s  curiosity  induced  him  to  take 
up  his  position  where  he  could  best  see  the 
lady  without  her  being  annoyed  thereby,  Gil- 
bert Horner  himself,  with  all  his  tricks  and 
knowledge  of  "  glamour  might,"  obtained  by 
supercherie  from  Michael  Scott's  wondrous 
book,  did  not  more  effectually  conceal  Lord 
Cranstoun  from  the  eyes  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Branksome  Hall,  than  did  the  mysterious  veil 
impenetrably  shroud  the  Arab  dame  from  his 
view.  A  bundle  of  clothes  apparently  was 
hoisted  up,  pulled  in  at  the  window,  pushed 
through  the  cabin,  and— heigh  presto  ! — it  was 
gone. 

No  sooner  were  all  fairly  re-embarked,  than 
the  Reis  and  our  consort  vessels  immediately 
quitted  the  shore,  and  made  for  deeper  water 
and  better  anchorage. 


LETTER  XXXII. 


t: 


[_ Djitida. — House  of  Hoseyii  Aga. — Divan. — Oriental  manner 
I    of  concluding  a  bargain. — Traditions  concerning  Djidda. 


Althodgh  we  were  under  weigh  by  day- 
break on  tlie  following  morning  (June  22d), 
yet  we  were  becahned  for  some  hours.  At  10 
A.M.  a  favourable  breeze  at  last  sprang  up, 
which  by  noon  freshened  into  a  strong  breeze. 
We  this  day  lost  sight  of  the  mountains,  and 
kept  about  five  or  six  miles  from  the  shore, 
passing  several  coral  reefs  and  anchoring  under 
the  lee  of  one  at  night. 

The  next  day  (June  23rd)  we  again  fell 
lown  the  coast,  and  at  noon  Djidda  was  the 
cry,  and  all  was  bustle  and  confusion.  We 
anchored  in  the  roadstead,  which  is  formed  by 
coral  reefs,  about  three  miles  distant  from  the 
town,  which  from  thence  has  a  very  pretty  ap- 
|)earance,  with  its- fortifications,  white  edifices, 
and  flat-topped  madrepore  houses.  We  were 
siu^rised  to  see  so  large  a  fleet  here,  for  we 
counted  no  less  than  nineteen  three-masted  ves- 
sels, or  frigates,  which  we  were  told  all  be- 
longed to  the  Pasha  of  Egypt,  besides 
'immense  number  of  merchantmen. 


^H 


304  A\  ENGLISH  SAILOR. 


We  wcfe  soon  surrounded  with  boats  ply- 
ing for  passmgers,  and  the  confusion  became 
tremendous,  for  all  seemed  anxious  to  leave  the 
Hadje  ship,  and  to  get  upon  shore  immediatelj, 
and  every  one  was  consequently  bargaining, 
bawling  and  screaming.  We  were  soon  in  a 
boat,  and  between  rowing  and  sailing,  in  com- 
pany with  several  others,  we  eventually  reach- 
ed the  shore.  As  we  passed,  all  our  fellow- 
passengers,  and  in  particular  our  friend  the 
Turk,  took  their  leave  by  salaaming,  and  sa- 
luting-us  most  courteously;  and  though  we 
were  using  green  umbrellas,  no  one  seemed 
offended  at  Christians  making  use  of  that 
sacred  colour.  At  Rome  they  say,  the  Roman 
Catholics  are  less  bigoted  than  elsewhere  ;  and 
at  Djidda,  the  sea-port  town  of  Mecca,  the  Mus- 
sulmans certainly  appeared  more  liberal  than 
elsewhere.  As  we  advanced,  amongst  all  the 
flowing  robes  and  turbans,  with  which  we  were 
surrounded,  how  were  we  startled  with  the 
sight  of  one  solitary  hat !  and  I  really  cannot 
describe  to  you  my  sensations  at  being,  in  this 
distant  and  remote  region,  hailed  in  "  the  ac- 
cents sweet  of  Fatherland!"  He  who  accost- 
ed us  was  an  English  sailor,  who  in  these  fo- 
reign countries  really  appeared  like  a  brother! 
He  was  equally  delighted  to  speak  to  a  coun- 
tryman ;  and  we  learnt  from  him  that  Sir  Hud- 


son  Lowe,  tliougli  now  on  the  point  of  quitting, 
had  not  yet  left  Djidda,  as  he  had  been  de- 
tained here  for  seventeen  days. 

Djidda  is  situated  upon  a  slightly-rising 
ground,  extending  along  the  shore  for  about 
fifteen  hundred  paces,  its  breadth  not  exceed- 
ing more  than  half  that  space.  It  is,  compara- 
tively speaking,  a  modern  town,  and  has  only 
become  of  importance  since  the  fifteentii  cen- 
tury. The  ancient  half-ruined  wall,  which  was 
built  by  Ransour  el  Gharry,  Sultan  of  Egypt, 
idfording  no  protection  against  the  expected 
depredations  and  inroads  of  the  Wahabites, 
a  new  one  was  erected  by  the  inhabitants  on 
the  land  side,  which  is  strengthened,  at  inter- 
vals of  forty  or  fifty  paces,  by  watch  toweis 
and  a  few  rusty  guns,  in  consequence  of  which 
Djidda  is  considered  as  impregnable  by  the 
Arabs. 

The  streets  are  rather  handsome,  and  tolera- 
bly wide  for  an  Oriental  town.  The  houses 
are  well  built,  of  white  stone  or  madrepore,  and 
many  of  them  are  several  stories  high,  with  flat- 
terraced  roofs,  and  their  windows  and  door- 
ways being  all  arched,  present  many  rich 
specimens  of  Arabesque  architecture.  We  had 
some  difficulty  in  landing  at  a  sort  of  an  at- 
tempt of  a  quay,  and  we  immediately  repaired 
to  the  mansion  of  Hoseyn  Aga,  the  agent  for 

VOL.  1.  X 


the  East  India  Coaipany,  where  Sir  Httdac 
liowe  was  residin^f.  His  mansion  very 
resembled  one  of  the  smaller  Colleges  in  Ox- 
ford ;  and  whoever  has  seen  the  cloisters  of 
Westminster  Abbey,  or  of  Lincoln  Cathedral, 
may  have  an  exact  idea  of  the  interior  court 
of  an  Arab  bouse.  Indeed,  the  Cainpo  Santo 
at  Pisa  is  nothing  more  than  an  Arabesque 
building,  upon  a  magnificent  scale.  We  passed 
through  a  heavy  arched  gateway  into  a  court 
surrounded  by  cloisters,  which  were  supported 
by  handsome  arches;  and  after  ascending  a  stair- 
case of  Collegiate  appearance,  we  entered  an  J 
upper  apartment,  where  we  found  Hoseyn  Ag^fl 
sitting  in  his  Divan,  which  was  exactly  similar  to  ' 
the  immense  bow  windows  that  overhang  some 
of  the  principal  entrances  at  Oxford.  This  was 
slightly  elevated,  and  a  low  seat  ran  all  round«J 
the  whole  being  covered  with  scarlet  cloth.l 
On  being  invited  up,  we  ascended  two  or  three 
steps,  and  took  our  seats  on  the  right  hand  of 
Hoseyn  Aga.  He  was  a  remarkably  fine-look- 
ing man,  with  an  air  of  dignity  intermingled 
with  hauteur ;  —  handsomely  clad,  but  the  heavy 
folds  of  his  muslin  turban  were  studiously  drawn 
over  his  right  eye  to  conceal  the  loss  of  it ;  for 
Mahomet  Ali  one  day  in  a  fit  of  nige  pulled  it  , 
out ! — yet  these  men  are  friends, — great  friends,! 
just  at  present,  and  will  remain  so  as  long  as  itJ 


4 

e 

IS 

I 


DIVAN  OP  DJIDDA.  307 

may  be  convenient  and  agreeable  to  botii  parties 
to  consider  eacb  otiier  in  that  liylit ! 

Though  certainly  feeling  myself  somewhat 
out  of  my  place,  I  was  considerably  amused 
with  watching  the  proceedings  of  a  Divan. 
Turks  and  Arabs  came  and  went,  themselves 
preferring  in  person  their  petitions  and  com- 
plaints to  Hoseyn  Aga.  The  superiors  took 
seats  upon  the  Divan,  the  inferiors  stood  or 
sat  below  the  steps. 

Hoseyn  Aga,  after  sig^ning  the  papers  pre- 
sented to  him,  by  affixing  his  signet  to  tliem, 
ilung  them  contemptuously  towards  bis  secre- 
tary, who  was  in  waiting;  but,  as  the  wind 
generally  wafted  tliem  to  my  feet,  I  believe  I 
surprised  and  amused  tlie  Aga,  not  a  little,  by 
occasionally  picking  them  up  and  handing  tliem 
on.  The  Orientals,  liowever  polished  their 
manners  may  be  to  their  equals  and  superiors, 
seem  apparently  to  liave  no  idea  of  courtesy 
towards  their  inferiors. 

The  Turkish  guards,  the  Arab  attendants, 
the  Oriental  appearance  of  all  around,  struck 

me  as  so  singular,  that  when   C left  uie 

for  a  short  time,  Mhile  he  went  to  pay  his  re- 
spects to  the  General,  I  really  almost  fancied 
myself  in  a  dream  ;  for  there  was  I,  sitting 
in  Grand  Divan  at  Djidda !  probably  the 
only  Knglish  woman  who  ever  assisted  person- 
X  2 


308 


SINOt'LAK  SCLNE. 


ally  at  one,  in  this,  to  European  travellers,  out- 
of-the-way  place!  However,  I  'kept  myself 
closely  veiled,  anil  the  most  profound  respect 
was  paid  me  :  a  lady  could  not  have  been  treat- 
ed witli  more  in  tlie  most  polished  drawing- 
room  in  London.  One  of  the  principal  Turts 
attempted  to  enter  into  conversation  with  me, 
and  to  do  the  honours  of  Djidda,  though,  as  my 
knowledge  of  Arabic  was  confined  to  a  very  few\ 
phrases,  his  gallantry  was  but  of  little  avail. 

We  heard  here  that  Sir  Hudson  Lowe  h; 
hired  a  Bombay  vessel  to  leave  Djidda  a  foi 
night  earlier  than  usual ;  and  as  this  was  the 
best,  and  indeed  the  only  opportunity  that  of- 
fered for  our  obtaining  a  passage  thither,  and 
as  we  were  informed  that  at  this  time  Djidda 
was  very  unhealthy,  and  had  been  so  for  some 

time,   C resolved    to   engage   the    vacant 

cabin.  Tlie  General  and  all  his  suite  had  been 
attacked  with  intermittent  fevers,  debility,  loss 
of  appetite,  swellings  and  pains  in  their  limbs, 
disorders  very  prevalent  here.  The  Nachoda, 
Siiboo  ben  Tayib,  the  Captain  of  the  vei 
tlie  George  Cruttenden  by  name,  was  sent 
and  Hoseyn  Aga  undertook  to  bring  him  to 
reasonable  terms.  They  sat  down  close  toge- 
ther, and  took  hold  of  each  other's  hand,  un- 
derneath a  cloth ;  tliey  played  with  each  otlier*! 
fingers,  looked  each  other  full  in  the  face,  witi 


ue, 

ew^l 

>a^H 


oda. 


an  air  at  once  friendly,  cunning,  andjoculi 
they  spoke  not  one  single  word,  but  in  two 

three  minutes  the  Aga,  turning  to  C ,  in. 

formed  him  Saboo  ben  Tayib  would  take  him 
to  Bombay  for  550  dollars.  I  had  before  heard 
of  tliis  Oriental  manner  of  making  bargains,  but 
I  certainly  never  could  have  believed  it,  without 
the  evidence  of  my  own  senses,  for,  the  facility 
with  which  they  seemed  to  understand  each 
other,  appeared  to  me,  little  less  than  miraculous. 

In  about  a  couple  of  hours  we  were  sum- 
moned to  dinner,  which  was  served  up  in  the 
General's  apartment  in  the  European  style, 
with  chairs  and  tables,  knives,  forks,  and  plates. 
There  was  excellent  fish,  and  a  profusion  of 
every  thing  upon  tlie  table.  Though  our  host, 
Hoseyn  Aga,  did  not  make  his  appearance 
during  the  meal,  he  afterwards  came  in  to 
make  his  parting  compliments  to  us  before  we 
went  on  board.  He  offered  to  take  charge  of 
letters  for  us  to  England,  and  as  this  was  the  last 
place  from  whence  we  should  have  an  opj>ortu- 
nity  of  writing  home,  most  of  us  profited  by  it ; 
but  one  of  the  party,  when  he  was  asked  for  his 
letters,  saying  he  had  none,  "  What !"  said  he, 
"  have  you  no  father,  no  mother  in  England  ?" 

Hoseyn  Aga's  manners  were  dignified.  I 
should  say  tliere  was  a  good  deal  of  havt  tvn 
as  well  as  hauteur  about  him.     From  his  ap- 


^1 

ilar  ^1 

10  or  ^^1 


310  MAHOMETAN  TRADITIONS. 

pearance  and  manners,  he  would  any  where  be 
taken  for  a  gentleman.  He  sent  his  homme 
tl'qffaires,  Abdallah,  to  accompany  us  to  the 
sliip,  and  we  then  all  took  our  leave  ;  the  Ge- 
neral and  his  Aide-de-camp  apparently  quite  de- 
lighted to  get  away  from  Djidda,  where  their 
liealtli  had  suffered  considerably,  and  wher^ 
from  the  crowded  state  of  the  town,  incident 
to  tlie  Mahometan  Hadje,  they  could  procure 
no  other  accommodation  than  one  room,  and 
this  in  Hoseyn  Aga's  dwelling.  At  otlier  times 
houses,  we  understood,  would  have  been  plenty, 
and  easily  procured. 

The  word  Djidda,  1  have  been  told,  signifies  i 
"  rich  ;"  or,  as  others  say,  "  the  first  of  motliers." 
The  Mahometans  say  that  Eve  was  banished 
hither  after  her  fall,  and  the  tomb  of  Howa, 
as  they  term  her,  is  still  siiown  two  miles  north 
of  the  town,  a  rude  structure  of  stone,  about 
four  feet  in  length,  two  or  tliree  in  breadth, 
and  as  many  in  height.  After  a  separation  of 
a  hundred  years,  Adam  rejoined  her  on  INIount 
Arafaith  [near  Mecca,  and  by  the  orders  of  the 
Almighty,  the  angels  took  a  tent  from  Para- 
dise, called  Kheyuie,  and  pitched  it  for  the: 
accommodation  of  our  first  parents,  precisely 
in  tlie  same  spot  where  Seth  subsequently 
erected  the  Kaaba,  and  which  he  consecrated 
to  the  worship  of  the    Eternal   Deity.     The 


I 


MAfiOMKTAN  THADITIONS.  J  I  J 

body  of  Adam,  at  bis  death,  after  baviiig  been 
wasbed  and  purified  by  angels,  wrapped  in  tlie 
winding-sbeet  with  perfumes  and  aromatics  by 
the  Archangel  Micbael,  and  prayed  over  by 
Gabriel,  was  then  deposited  in  Gbar  "ul  Keez, 
the  grotto  of  treasure  on  the  Mountain  Djebel 
Eb  y  Coubeyss.  At  the  time  of  the  Deluge, 
by  the  command  of  the  Almighty,  Noab  took 
the  corpse  of  Adam  with  him  in  the  ark  in  a 
coffin,  but  when  the  flood  was  abated,  his  first 
care%vas  to  restore  it  to  the  grotto  from  whence 
he  had  taken  it. 

These  traditions,  together  witli  the  Kaaba, 
or  wonderful  black  stone,  which  was  brought 
to  Seth  by  an  angel,  and  which  is  in  the  Beit 
Allah,  the  famous  mosque,  or  House  of  God, 
at  Mecca,  are,  what  render  this  country  as  in- 
teresting to  the  Mahometan  Hadje,  as  Jerusa- 
lem was  in  olden  time  to  the  Crusader,  and 
still  is  to  the  Christian  Pilgrim.  They  ac- 
count for  the  bills  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Mecca,  by  saying,  that  when  Abraham  was 
building  the  Beit  Allah,  God  ordered  everj' 
mountdn  in  the  world  to  contribute  its  pro- 
portion, and  the  blackne.ss  of  Corra  Dog,  a 
mountain  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Algiers,  is 
supposed  by  them  to  have  been  occasioned  by 
its  refusing  to  obey  the  injunction.  The  Zem- 
zem,  the  sacred  ^vell  of  Mecca,  is  revered  a.s 


312  QUIT  DJIDDA. 

that  which  was  shown  to  Hagar,  by  the  angd 
in  the  Wilderness,  when,  with  her  son  Ishmad, 
the  progenitor  and  hero  of  the  Arabs,  she  was 
cast  out  by  Abraham.  It  is  curious  to  see  how 
much  of  our  Sacred  History  the  Mahometans 
have  mixed  up  with  their  fabulous  inventions, 
and  to  hear  the  names  of  the  Patriarchs  con- 
nected with  these  wild  traditions. 


LETTER  XXXIII. 

The  George  Cruttenden. — A  Native  Vessel. —  Embarka- 
tion.— Cock-roaches. — Crew. — Natives  of  Hindoostan.— - 
Oppressive  Climate. — Arrival  at  Hodeida. 

The  night  was  lovely,  the  stars  shone  most 
brilliantly,  and  daylight  was  even  yet  trembling 
in  the  West,  when  we  again  embarked  upon 
the  Red  Sea  in  a  little  skijff  rowed  by  wild- 
looking  Arabs,  which  was  to  transport  us  to 
the  George  Cruttenden,  which  lay  at  anchor 
some  miles  from  the  shore.  This  was  a  native 
merchant  ship,  carrying  about  three  hundred 
tons,  and  navigated  by  Lascars,  or  sailors, 
natives  of  Hindoostan. 

After  we  reached  the  vessel,  we  were  de- 
tained several  hours  waiting  for  the  Nachoda, 
Saboo    ben   Tayib,   who  remained    on    shore 


AOUALLAliS  GALLANTUY. 


transacting  some  business  ;  and,  as  C 
likewise  absent  some  time  giving  orders  about 
our  things  being  transported  from  the  Arab 
dow  to  the  George  Cruttenden,  I  began  to 
feel  very  seriously  alarmed  for  his  safety,  and 
though  I  did  my  utmost  to  restrain  my  feel- 
ings, I  suppose  my  countenance  betrayed  my 
anxiety,  for  as  I  sat  upon  deck  watching  the  last 
rays  of  daylight  as  they  gradually  disappeared, 
Abdallah,  who  spoke  tolerable  English,  came 
up  to  me,  and  in  a  soothing  manner  exclaimed, 
"  What  is  the  matter  with  you  ?  Why  look 
you  so  uneasy  ?  Do  not  be  unhappy  ;  I  will 
take  care  of  you,  and  I  will  go  and  fetch  your 
husband  for  you."  I  certainly  could  not  re- 
strain a  smile  at  Abdallah's  offered  care  and 
protection;  but,  as  it  was  growing  late,  I  was 
soon  obliged  to  retire  to  my  cabin,  which  was 
large,  and  of  spacious  dimensions,  and,  as  the 
servants  had  not  iiad  time  properly  to  arrange 
it,  presented  at  this  time  a  most  uncomfortable 
and  cheerless  appearance.  Whilst  the  flicker- 
ing flame  of  tlie  lamp  cast  fitful  gleams  of  a 
trembling  and  uncertain  light  around,  making 
the  surrounding  obscurity  more  dark  and  dis- 
mal, and  whilst  in  solitude  and  gloom  my 
fears  were  raised  to  a  nervous  pitch  of  appre- 
hension for  C 's  safety,  a  violent  humming 

and  buzzing  noise  resounded  through  the  cabin. 


313  ^1 

was  ^^M 

Lrab  ^^\ 


3 1 4  COCK-ROACUES. 

which,  to  my  horror  and  constonatioDy  was  in 
an  instant  literaUy  filled  with  an  army  of  cock- 
roaches, which  suddenly  appeared  from  bdow. 
These  cock-roaches  very  much  resembled  cod^- 
chafers  in  their  appearance,  but  considerably  ex- 
ceeded them  in  dimension,  and  only  those  who 
have  been  on  board  a  native  merchant  ship,  and 
have  actually  encountered  a  similar  irruption, 
can  have  any  idea  of  its  horrors.    Whilst  in  the 
Red  Sea,  Ave  were  constantly  subject  to  similar 
nightly  visitations ;  and  such  was  the  disgust 
they  gave  me,  that  I  positively  would  at  any 
time  rather  encounter  a  snake  than  a  swarm  of 
these  insects.     With  daylight,  they,  however, 

retreated  to  their  holes,  and  C soon  after 

making  his  appearance,  terminated  my  fears  on 
his  account.  He  had  fallen  in  with  the  Nachoda, 
and  had  agreed  to  accompany  him  to  the  ship, 
which  had  consequently  detained  him ;  and 
whilst  Sabbo  ben  Tayib  was  transacting  his  busi- 
ness, and  saying  farewell  to  his  friends,  he  had 
lain  down  in  one  of  the  Okalls  in  the  town,  and 
slept  there  till  summoned  to  go  on  board. 

I  must  here  relate  an  instance  of  Arab  ho- 
nesty, which,  in  the  midst  of  their  cunning  and 
extortion,  deserves  recording,  as  it  is  what  one 
would   seldom  meet  with,  even    in   England. 

On  looking  over  our  things,  C discovered 

that   a  favourite   gun   was   not   forthcoming; 


CREW.  3i5 

ami  though  he  considered  the  regaining  it  to 
be  quite  out  of  the  question,  yet  he  thought  it 
as  well  to  endeavour  to  recover  it.  He  accord- 
ingly sent  Sheik  Chaund  to  the  Hadje  ship  to 
enquire  for  it ;  and  there,  though  our  cabin  had 
been  deserted,  and  left  open  to  every  one  for 
nearly  twenty-four  hours,  he  discovered  the 
gun  exactly  where  it  had  been  left,  and  in  a 
spot  too  where  it  might  have  easily  been  seen, 
and  taken  by  those  in  the  vessel. 

The  crew  of  the  George  Cruttenden  consist- 
ed of  the  Nachoda  and  his  son,  who  was  a  fine 
intelligent  lad,  about  ten  or  twelve  years  old, 
covered  with  amulets  and  charms,  two  or  three 
mates,  and  about  twenty-five  sailors,  all  natives 
of  India,  so  that  I  was  once  more  in  a  new  world. 

Hindoostanee  was  spoken  almost  entirely  on 

board,  and  C ,  from  his  perfect  knowledge 

of  that  language,  became  Interpreter- general  to 
the  whole  party.  The  Indian  dress  consists  of 
silk,  or  nankeen  trowsers ;  a  white  cotton  or 
spotted  muslin  vest,  called  an  angrica,  which 
closely  fits  the  figure,  and  somewhat  resembles 
a  dressing-gown  in  appearance  ;  a  cumberband, 
or  sash,  composed  of  a  handsome  shawl,  and  a 
turban  of  a  long  piece  of  stuff,  of  a  mixture  of 
cotton  and  silk,  twenty  or  thirty  feet  long, 
which  is  worn  very  neatly  twisted  round  the 
head,  in  different  fashions,  according   to  the 


caste  of  the  wearer,  the  tout-ensemble  bdng 
very  unlike  the  ample  folds  of  the  Turkish  tur- 
ban, and  their  heavy  woollen  garments.  The 
Nachoda  and  his  principal  officers  were  sjl 
Mahometans.  Their  features  were  delicate  and 
well-formed,  with  an  expression  of  countenance 
cunning  rather  than  open.  Their  figures  were 
small,  light,  and  active ;  and  there  was  somftj 
thing  effeminate  in  their  appearance,  which  * 
totally  dissimilar  to  the  bold,  haughty,  inti 
pid  look  of  the  Turk,  and  to  the  wild,  i 
fearless  air  of  the  Arab. 

The  following  description  of  the  natives  of  " 
India,  by  Lord,  in  1630,  is  very  applicable  to 
their  present  appearance,  "  A  people  clothed  in 
linen  garments,  somewhat  low  descending,  of  a 
gesture  and  garb,  we  may  say,  maidenly,  and 
well-nigh   effeminate;    of  a  countenance  shy^J 
and    somewhat    estranged,  yet  smiling    out  *l 
glozed  and  somewhat  bashful  familiarity."    The 
common    sailors  were  principally   Malabar,  or 
Gogo  men,  of  shorter  and  somewhat  stouter 
frames, — and  there  was  an  African,  or  Seedee, 
the  wit  of  the  party,  who  was  always  teUiiig 
stories,   laughing,    and  in  good  humour.     AJ- 
though  the  General  had  taken  the  vessel  almost  ( 
exclusively  for  his  own  use,  yet  tliere  were  also  ] 
several  poor  Hadjes  on  board,  returning  to  India,  j 
who  lived  entirely  upon  the  deck,  and  a  few  of  J 


OPPRESSIVE  CLIMATE.— I NSECl-S. 


them  had  their  wives  with  them.  The  General, 
his  suite,  and  his  stud,  which  he  had  increased 
at  Djidda  by  the  purchase  of  two  fine  horses  of 
the  famous  Nedjedy  breed,  occupied  great  part 
of  the  ship,  and  we  and  our  attendants  the 
remainder. 

In  spite  of  all  the  hurry  of  the  preceding 
day,  we  remained  at  anchor  the  whole  of  the 
S4th,  as,  on  account  of  the  narrow  passage 
through  coral  reefs,  by  which  we  had  to  pass 
into  the  open  sea,  we  were  obliged  to  wait 
for  a  particular  wind.  On  the  25th  we  got 
under  weigh,  but  in  working  out,  our  ship  ran 
aground ;  luckily  it  was  got  off  without  sus- 
taining any  injury,  and  stretching  boldly  out 
to  sea,  we  soon  lost  sight  of  the  land,  and  of 
the  coral  reefs  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
shore.  We  found  the  atmosphere  very  op- 
pressive ;  the  thermometer  being  generally 
about  90",  and  in  addition  to  our  friends  the 
cock-roaches,  who  paid  us  nightly  visits,  we 
were  troubled  with  mosquitoes,  and  terribly 
incommoded  with  myriads  of  small  ants,  with 
which  the  ship  was  swarming,  its  last  cargo 
having,  unfortunately  for  us,  been  composed  of 
sugar!  They  were  positive  nuisances,  for  they 
got  into  our  provision-^,  our  clothes,  our  hair, 
and  their  bite  was  so  very  annoying  and  pain- 
ful, that  they  disturbed  our  rest  at  night. 


1 

sed  ^H 

of  " 


318  HODEIDA,— COFFEE  HILLS. 

On  the  26th  of  June  a  brisk  gale  blew  up,  and 
continued  for  some  days,  and  on  the  31st  we  an- 
chored off'Hodeida,  three  or  four  miles  from  the 
shore,  as  from  its  shallowness,  vessels  of  any  size 
cannot  enter  the  bay,  though  it  is  large,extensive, 
and  open  to  all  winds.  The  town,  from  thence, 
with  its  fortifications,  castles,  and  white  flat-roof- 
ed houses,  had  a  very  picturesque  appearance. 
It  is  about  one  and  a  half  day's  journey  from 
Beit  el  Fahik,  or,  "the  house  of  the  Sage,"  which 
is  situated  in  a  well  cultivated  plain,  and  which 
owes  its  name  and  its  origin  to  the  famous  Saint 
Achmet  Ibn  Mousa,  whose  sepulchre  is  in  a 
pretty  little  mosque  near  tlie  town ;  and  it  is 
about  the  same  distance  from  the  coffee  hills, 
wliich  we  saw  at  a  distance.  Beit  el  Fahik  is 
only  half  a  day's  journey  from  the  hills  where 
the  plant  grows,  and  the  coffee  trade  attracts 
thither  merchants  from  Hedjaz,  Kgypt,  Bar- 
bary,  Syria,  Persia,  India,  and  even  Europe. 
The  roads  to  these  hills  are  very  bad,  and  inac- 
cessible even  to  mules,  but  the  scenery  is  said 
to  be  delightful.  The  mountains  are  of  basalt, 
and  cascades  falling  between  the  apparently  ar- 
tificial columns,  have  a  very  picturesque  effect. 
At  Bulgosa,  the  coffee  plantations  are  upon 
terraces  in  the  form  of  an  amphitheatre,  which 
are  connected  by  flights  of  steps,  cut  in  the 
rock  ;  and  the  air  there  being  fresher  and  cooler 


HARBOURS— ZEBin. 

than  on  the  plain,  the  inhabitants  have  fairer 
complexions.  The  harbour  of  Hodeida  is  bet- 
ter than  tliat  of  Loiieia,  whicli  is  situated  to 
the  north.  That  of  Ghalefka,  six  leagues  to 
the  south,  is  entirely  filled  up,  but  they  have 
there  an  excellent  spring  of  water,  -which  is 
ascribed  to  tlie  prayers  of  their  patron  Saint, 
Seid  Ali.  At  Hodeida  it  is  also,  in  some  de- 
gree, choked  up  ;  before  this,  Zebid,  five  or  six 
leagues  S.S.W.  of  Beit  el  Fahik,  was  the  prin- 
cipal and  most  commercial  place  in  all  'I'ehaina. 
It  still  boasts  of  an  academy,  an  aqueduct,  and 
numerous  mosques.  It  is  situated  near  the 
largest  and  most  fertile  icutly  in  the  country, 
through  which  in  rainy  seasons  a  large  river 
fiows.  Much  indigo  is  grown  in  its  neighbour- 
hood, and  the  fields,  when  not  ravaged  with 
torrents,  have  a  fertile  and  beautiful  appearance ; 
coffee  however  seems  to  be  the  chief  article  of 
cultivation  and  trade  ;  as  it  is  cheaper  and  better 
than  elsewhere  at  Hodeida,  from  whence  the 
hills  are  not  two  days' journey,  whilst  they  are 
four  from  Mocha,  our  Nachoda  stopped  at  the 
former  place,  in  consequence,  for  a  cargo. 

It  is  strange  that  an  article  of  such  universal 
consumption  as  coffee  sliould  have  been  only 
used  in  modern  times,  as  there  are,  1  have  been 
told,  no  accounts  of  its  having  been  known  fo 
the  ancients.    When  first  introduced  in  Ethiopia 


320  ARItn'AL  AT  HODEIDA. 

it  was  forbidden,  on  account  of  its  supposed 
exciting  properties ;  the  use  of  it,  was  also, 
for  the  same  reason,  at  one  time  prohibited  in 
Turkey,  where  it  is  now  almost  a  necessary 
of  Hfe. 

On  the  following  day  (July  1st)  we  went 
on  shore,  when  the  surf  being  exceedingly 
liigh,  the  boat  beat  about  tremendously,  and 
we  had  considerable  difficulty  in  effecting  a 
landing ;  for  though  the  coast  was  covered 
with  people,  and  the  boat  was  surrounded  by 
them,  they  had  received  general  order  never 
to  assist  any  Fringees  or  Europeans :  so  thei 
we  continued  buffeting  with  the  waves, 
beating  violently  for  some  time  on  the  beach, 
till  at  length  some  Banyan  traders  sent  their 
servants  down  to  our  assistance,  and  literally 
upon  their  heads  were  we  carried  through  the 
surf.  I  was  so  overcome  that  I  was  obliged 
to  sit  down  to  recover  in  the  gateway  of  the 
city ;  and,  when  I  came  to  myself,  I  found  T 
was  surrounded  by  a  band  of  indescribably  wild 
and  most  savage-looking  Arabs,  who  were  eye- 
ing me  with  looks  of  the  most  intense  curiosity 
and  astonishment.  Whilst  the  gentlemen  went 
in  search  of  lodgings,  I  was  deposited  in  the 
Nachoda's  Duftur  Khanna,  or  counting-house, 
tlie  courts  and  rooms  of  which  were  filled  witli 
bales  of  merchandize ;  but  as  there  was  neither 


ever  ^^ 


CLr.MATE  OF  IIODEIDA.  321 

chair  nor  sofa  for  my  use,  1  was  constrained  to 
lie  down  upon  the  ground,  and  to  lay  my 
acliing  liead  upon  a  bale  of  coffee,  as  a  substi- 
tute for  a  pillow,  whilst  our  servant  with  some 
difficulty  procured  me  some  lemonade,  which 
he  brought  in  a  basin :  but  every  thing  is  by 
comparison,  and  after  the  violent  motion  of  the 
boat,  and  the  intense  heat  1  had  been  there  ex- 
posed to,  these  accommodations,  poor  as  they 
were,  appeared  delightful,  from  the  shade  and 
quiet  they  afforded;  and  the  soft  cooing  of 
some  sacred  doves  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
house,  sounded  more  harmoniously  than  any 
music  I  ever  heard,  for  it  convinced  me  I  was 
upon  land. 


LETTER  XXXIV. 

Hodeida. — .\rab  House  and   Architecture. — Castles.— Qar- 
dcn  of  Dates.— Wild  Arabs.— Coffee.-Camel's  flesh.— 

Hytenas Curiosity  of  Inhabitants  coocerning,  and  refusal 

to  accept,  Arab  Testament. ^Dowlah 'a  Divan. — Banyans. 
— Ill-used  race. 

After  some  little  time,  a  house  was  disco- 
vered that  was  large  enough  to  accommotlate 
the  whole  party.  It  belonged  to  one  of  the 
principal  merchants  in  the  place,  and  appeared 
to  be  one  of  the  best  in  the  town  :  but  it  was  a 

VOL.  1.  V 


322  ARAB  HOUSE. 

strange  rambling  place ;  there  were  courts 
within  courts,  terraces  upon  terraces,  and  it 
seemed  quite  adapted  for  the  mysterious  scene 
of  a  romance.* 

We  entered,  by  a  heavy  arched  gateway,  into 
a  court  surrounded  by  cloisters,  exactly  resem- 
bling those  of  a  college  in  Oxford,  and  these 
were  full  of  bales  of  merchandise.  From 
thence,  a  very  narrow  and  dark  staircase  led  to 
a  succession  of  courts ;  at  the  bottom  of  one  of 
them  was  the  apartment  appropriated  to  the 
G^eneral's  use,  where  was  an  immense  project- 
ing window,  looking  upon  the  sea ;  and  in  the 
walls  were  several  arched  niches  or  recesses, 
similar  to  those  in  our  cathedrals,  which  here 
seemed  to  serve  the  double  purpose  of  tables 
and  cupboards.  At  the  top,  near  the  ceiling,  a 
heavy  shelf  ran  all  round,  where  were  jars  of 
sweetmeats,  bottles  of  rose-water  and  perfume, 
and  there  were  several  awkward  couches  ranged 

*  The  General  might  easily  have  had  apartments  pro* 
cured  for  his  own  use,  but  he  refused  to  avail  himself  of 
them  till  we  were  also  accommodated  ;  and  I  really  cannot 
help  making  use  of  this  opportunity,  to  state  how  kind, 
courteous,  and  friendly  we  on  every  occasion  invariably 
found  Sir  Hudson  Lowe.  When  quite  alone  with  us,  he 
entirely  lost  the  reserve  he  sometimes  assumed  in  mixed 
company ;  and  from  having  seen  much  of  the  world,  and 
from  his  personal  acquaintance  with  and  knowledge  of  the 
political  characters  of  the  day,  his  conversation  at  such 
time»  was  peculiarly  amusing  and  entertaining. 


AHUHITECTUKE.  32U 

round  the  room.  A  moveable  flight  of  steps 
led  to  our  chamber,  which  was  exactly  on 
the  same  plan,  though  on  a  smaller  scale.  All 
the  apartments  appeared  to  have  a  sort  of  pri- 
vate court,  or  terrace  attached  to  them,  which 
by  huge  folding-doors  comunmicated  witli,  and 
formed  part  of  the  covered  and  upper  end  at 
pleasure.  Ours,  from  its  furniture,  appeared  to 
beli)ng  to  the  principal  lady  of  the  liouse  ;  and 
there  was  a  window  which  looked  into  a  large 
store-room,  full  of  a  most  curious  mixture  of 
Arab  valuables,  upon  which  "  Madame"  might 
keep  her  eye  constantly,  without  leaving  her 


Both  here,  and  in  other  houses  at  Hodeida, 
we  were  surprised  at  the  exquisite  beauty  of 
the  carved  wood-work,  which  was  similar  to, 
and  quite  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  the  richest 
Gothic  tracery  in  our  finest  cathedrals.  Much 
taste  and  elegance  were  displayed  in  the  com- 
monest arched  door  and  window,  which  lat- 
ter gejierally  projected  over  the  streets  consi- 
derably, in  the  same  manner  as  in  the  very  old 
houses  in  London.  The  profusion,  variety, 
and  ingenuity  of  the  Arabesque  ornaments  and 
devices  were  really  extraordinary.  From  what 
we  saw  we  were  fully  convinced  that  the  archi- 
tecture, by  us  erroneously  tenned  Gothic,  de- 
rived its  origin  entirely  and  exclusively  from 
Y  2 


324  GARDEN  OF  DATES. 

the  heart  of  Arabia,  and  perhaps  the  arch 
should  rather  be  termed  Arabesque,  or  Saraoe* 
nic,  than  Saxon  or  Norman ;  foi*  here  are  still  in 
use,  and  probably  have  been  so  from  time  im- 
memorial, the  round,  the  pointed,  and  the  ellip- 
tic. Indeed,  should  any  one,  tired  of  the  Gre- 
cian architecture,  wish  to  revive  the  Gk)thic 
style  in  England,  which  some  deem  lost  there^ 
he  should  go  to  Hodeida,  or  some  similar  town 
in  Arabia^  to  study.  The  General,  who  wai 
equally  struck  with  ourselves,  much  regretted  be 
had  no  artist  with  him,  to  make  sketches  of  the 
numerous  interesting  buildings  which  we  saw. 
The  streets  of  Hodeida  were  narrow,  unpaved, 
dirty,  and  overhung  with  the  immense  win- 
dows I  have  mentioned.  The  town  was  flank- 
ed and  protected  by  four  castles,  which  at  a 
distance  had  very  much  the  appearance  of  our 
old  castellated  mansions  in  England,  and  really 
looked  very  handsome  and  imposing.  There 
were  numerous  thatched  huts  outside  the  walls, 
surrounded  with  dead  fences,  and  there  were 
also  several  public  gardens  of  date-trees,  which 
had  a  very  Juan  Fernandez  appearance.  The 
trees  were  at  this  time  covered  with  baskets,* 

*  These  were  suspended  to  the  branches,  as  we  sometimes 
see  bags  on  vines,  to  protect  the  grapes. 

"  The  merry  date  season, 
Which  calls  to  the  palm  groves  the  young  and  the  old," 


COSTl'ME  (IF  THE  AHABS. 


325 


to  preserve  tlie  fruit,  which  was  not  yet  ripe. 
In  one  of  these  public  gardens  which  we  visited, 
was  a  sort  of  rustic  coflee-house,  wliere,  upon 
couches,  were  reposing  knots  of  Arabs,  smok- 
ing, and  drinking  coffee,  which  an  old  woman 
in  attendance  was  preparing  for  them.  A  sofa 
was  brought  for  our  accommodation,  and  we 
soon  became  objects  of  general  curiosity,  num- 
bers coming  up  to  gaze  at  us,  and  others  peep- 
ing through  the  hedge,  as  if  alarmed  at  our 
foreign  appearance.  Many  had  magnificent 
dirks  and  creeses  in  their  sashes,  the  handles  of 
which  were  composed  of  solid  silver,  and  were 
very  richly  embossed ;  these  they  exhibited 
with  great  pride,  and  were  evidently  much 
pleased  with  the  admiration  and  attention  we 
bestowed  upon  thera. 

The  costume  of  the  common  women  here 
appears  to  be  couiposed  of  the  blue  cotton  shift 
and  veil ;  and  the  superior  orders  seem  to  wear 
the  Turkish  drawers,  vest,  turban,  and  veil. 
The  men,  a  wild  and  saviigc-looking  race,  were 
very  slightly  clad,  but  all  were  well  armed  with 
javelins,  spears,  and  creeses  or  daggers.  We 
saw  some  with  bonnets  and  helmets,  apparently 
of  straw,  but  probably  of  palm-leaves,  as 
Niebuhr  observes,   that  the  "  Bedouins   upon 

la  ag  much  a  season  of  rejoicing  in  Arabia,  as  ihe  harvest 
home  in  England,  or  the  vintage  in  France. 


326  ci  Riusmr  of  the  arabsl 

the  frontkis  of  Hedjaz  and  of  Temen,  weir 
a  boDneC  of  palin4eaTes  neady  plaited."  We 
were  always  treated  with  mucA  rivility  wher- 
ever we  went,  and  sometimes  the  Arabs  would 
offer  me  nosegays  of  mogrey,^  though  it  was 
evidently  not  considered  safe  to  wander  too 
far  from  the  town.    One  day,  when  we  had 

walked  to  some  distance,  C sat  down  to 

make  a  sketch  of  one  of  the  castles,  and  we 
were  soon  surrounded  by  a  crowd  of  the  wild- 
est-looking Arabs,  male  and  female,  that  you 
can  conceive.  They  did  not  attempt  to  molest 
us,  but  kept  at  an  awful  distance,  gazing  at 

C with  looks  of  wonder  and  astonishment, 

and  even  with  some  degree  of  fear,  as  if  they 
thought  him  a  magician  about  to  throw  a  spell 
upon  them.    Regardless  of  the  increasing  and 

thickening  crowd,  C continued  to  draw 

on,  till  our  guide  testified  marks  of  great  un- 
easiness and  alarm,  and  requested  us  to  return 
to  the  town,  making  signs  to  me  to  keep  my 
veil  down. 

The  Bazaar  appeared  well  supplied  with  pro- 
vision, and  our  fare  was  very  tolerable.  We 
had  plenty  of  fish,  about  fifty  boats  going  out 
every  day  to  sea,  and  returning  with  fish  of 
the  size  and  appearance  of  a  herring ;    these 

*  A  flower  somewhat  resembling  the  jessamine,  with  a 
very  tweet  and  powerful  smell. 


CAMEL'S  FLliSll. 


327 


they  split  down  the  back,  aiid  then  throwing 
in  a  little  salt,  pack  them  in  baskets  for  ex- 
portation. There  was  another  species,  about 
a  yard  long,  something  resembling  the  Niar  fish 
of  Malabar.  We  had  also  fresh  dates,  wliich 
when  just  gatliered  are  a  delightful  fruit,  man- 
goes, and  other  fruits  and  vegetables,  which 
I  had  never  met  witli  before.  The  coffee  is 
brought  down,  neatly  packed  in  matting,  from 
the  coffee  hills,  which  were  distinctly  visible 
from  Hodeida.  It  was,  of  course,  perfectly 
genuine  and  excellent ;  but  as  the  whole  berry, 
husk  and  all,  is  ground,  I  did  not  like  the  Arab 
so  well  as  the  European  way  of  preparing  it. 
We  had  very  good  meat,  which  we  fancied  was 
beef,  till  one  day,  on  casual  enquiry,  we  disco- 
vered it  was  earners  flesh  which  we  were  at  the 
moment  very  composedly  eating  !  Immediately 
afterwards  a  boy  brought  in  some  young  hya;nas 
for  sale,  which  we  took  up  into  our  arms  as  if 
they  were  kittens,  — and  very  pretty  little  ani- 
mals they  were.  Thus,  at  Hodeida,  we  can 
safely  say,  we  had  camels  for  dinner,  and 
hyffinas  for  dessert ! 

The  poverty  of  the  lower  classes  here  ap- 
peared quite  dreadful.  Wherever  we  went, 
we  were  surrounded  by  crowds  of  beggars  ; 
and  they  stationed  themselves  roiuid  the  door, 
awaiting  our  conung  out,  souie  literally  in  a 


L 


state  of  starvation.  One  blind  beggar  used  to 
pay  us  daily  visits,  and  would  pertinaciously 
and  resolutely  stand  under  our  window,  vo- 
ciferating "  Cowasjee  —  Beebee,"  *  till  we  flung 
hiin  something.  If  the  Arabs  in  Egypt  were 
troublesome  in  their  applications  for  "  buck- 
sheesh,"  here  they  were  outrageous.  What- 
ever they  saw,  they  made  a  point  of  asking 
for ;  and  the  son  of  our  landlord,  a  respect- 
able-looking young  man,  was  as  bad  as  any ; 
however,  when  refused,  he  always  laughed 
archly,  without  seeming  the  least  offended  ;  as 
much  as  to  say,  "  I  will  lose  nothing  for  want 
of  asking,  but  I  see  you  are  not  such  fools  as  to 
be  taken  in."  The  Arabs  appear  very  different 
from  the  Turks  ;  tliey  have  none  of  their  apa- 
thy, but  a  VTvaciousness,  astuteness,  and  cu- 
riosity, quite  European ;  at  the  same  time, 
neither  have  they  their  dignified  and  majestic 
deportment. 

They  evinced  the  most  intense  interest  in  all 
our  European  novelties,  and  one  day,  as  we 
were  opening  a  box  of  books  in  their  presence, 
an  Arabic  Testament  caught  their  attention  ; 
they  examined  it  most  inquisitively,  and  i 


■  I  have  been  tolil  tliat  Cowasjee  literally  means  " 
cliant,"  but  it  is  the  appellation  almost  invariably  appli 
Franks  in  Egypt  ami  Arabia,  whatever  their  profession 
be.     Beebee  means  "  Lady,"  or  "  Madam," 


AKABIC  TESTAMENT.  329 

peared  highly  pleased  with  its  contents,  at  once 
comprehending  it  related  to  "  Allah."  They 
asked  its  price,  where  it  could  be  procured,  and 
Beemed  quite  anxious  to  obtain  a  supply.  Tiiey 
requested  permission  to  take  it  home  with  tliein 
to  peruse,  but  alas !  whilst  we  were  indulging 
in  most  pleasing  speculations,  and  fancying  we 
might  perchance  be  the  hinnble  instruments  in 
the  hands  of  Providence  to  introduce  the  Bible, 
and  the  knowledge  of  the  Christian  rehgion  in 
this  remote  spot,  scarcely  had  an  liour  elapsed 
ere  our  Testament  was  returned  to  us,  evident- 
ly from  no  dislike  or  disapprobation  of  its  con- 
tents, but  prol>ably  because  some  of  tlieir  Mool- 
lahs,  or  Priests,  had  prohibited  their  reading 
it.  They,  however,  accepted  with  thankful- 
ness and  pleasure  some  of  Mr,  Jovett's  Arabic 
spelling-books,  of  wlncb  he  had  furnislied  us 
with  a  supply,  when  at  Malta.  It  is  for  the 
Bible  and  Missionary  Societies  to  decide,  but 
from  what  we  saw  of  Arabia,  I  cannot  but 
think  that  there  is  a  vast  field  here  for  their 
exertions,  if  judiciously  employed.  There 
seems  Uttle  bigotry,  though  an  immense  deal  of 
selfishness,  and  a  love  of  filthy  lucre  in  the 
Arab  character ;  but  I,  however,  seriously  be- 
lieve that  they  might  be,  without  much  diffi- 
culty, converted  to  our  holy  religion,  or  at 
least  weaned  from  the  errors  of  their  own. 


330 


VISIT  TO  TJIE  DUWLAII. 


\ 


Although  the  Dowlah  never  called  in  per- 
son, yet  he  sent  a  deputation  to  wait  upon  the 
gentlemen,  and  an  immense  water-melon  as  a 
present  to  the  General.  When  they  returned 
the  visit,  they  found  him  sitting  in  his  Divan, 
which  was  clean  and  respectable,  and  in  the 
centre  were  the  ketlras,  tlie  largest  sort  of  pipe 
in  use,  which  were  resting  upon  tripods.  He 
was  a  little  delicate- looking  man,  about  forty 
years  old,  and  had  but  lately  come  into  office,  for 
which  he  had  given  four  hundred  dollitrs  to 
the  Imaun  of  Sanaa,  and,  of  course,  he  was 
making  up  the  sum  by  every  kind  of  exai 
and  extortion. 

He  received  the  gentlemen  very  courte- 
ously; expressed  his  surprise  at  their  not 
speaking  Arabic ;  and  after  the  usual  routine 
of  conversation,  through  the  medium  of  an 
interpreter,  and  after  having  been  sprinkled 
with  rose-water,  they  took  their  departure. 
The  room  was  full  of  natives  of  different 
countries.  The  wild-looking  Bedouin  of  the 
Desert;  the  more  civilized  Arab  of  the  town  ; 
the  slender  and  well-looking  Abyssinian  ;  and 
the  coal-black  Seedee,  or  Negro,  some  of  whom 
looked  perfectly  astonished,  and  almost  alarmed, 
at  the  sight  of  white  men,  evidently  never  be- 
fore having  seen  any  Fringees,  or  Franks. 

We  were  informed  that  Mahomet 


ictif^^^ 


ranks.  ^^^ 

?t  AH  ha^^l 


HINDOO  BANYANS.  331 

a  Vakeel  at  this  place,  but  that  not  being  on 
terms  with  the  present  Dowlah,  he  had  not  the 
slightest  authority  here.  There  were  twenty- 
five  Hindoos,  of  that  very  singular  caste,  the 
Banyan,  residing  here  for  the  purchase  of 
coffee ;  and  they  complained  bitterly  of  tlie 
heavy  exactions  they  were  subject  to.  They 
evidently  preferred  the  Turkish  to  the  Arab 
rule,  and  openly  expressed  their  regret  that  the 
attention  of  Mahomet  Ali  should  be  turned 
to  any  other  object  than  the  subjugation  of 
Arabia.  They  likewise  avowed  their  wish  that 
the  English  would  take  possession  of  the  coun- 
try, any  government  being  better  than  that 
they  were  suffering  under. 

They  are  neither  allowed  to  marry  or  to 
bring  their  wives  here — to  bum  their  dead, 
or  to  quit  the  place, — so  that  they  are  indeed 
in  miserable  plight.  They  appear  very  re- 
spectable merchants,  but  their  dress  and  their 
habits  are  very  singular.  They  wear  a  linen 
cloth  round  the  middle,  and  an  immensely 
large  red  turban,  of  a  most  singular  shape,  on 

the  head.     Some  of  them  had  known  C 

in  India,  and  they  were  quite  delighted  to 
meet  him  again,  paying  him  daily  visits,  and 
always  bringing  with  them  some  little  offering 
of  flowers  or  fruit.  Tlieir  peculiar  tenets  pre- 
vent their  depriving  any  thing  of  life,  and  you 


332  HINDOO  BANYANS. 

may  imagine  their  consternation,  upon  C ^*8 

one  day  asking  them,  forgetting  i^hom  he  was 
addressing,  what  was  the  best  things  to  destroy 
the  ants  that  annoyed  us  on  board  ship.  He 
immediately  corrected  himself,  and  said  he 
wished  only  to  drive  them  into  their  holes, 
upon  which  they  supplied  us  with  a  sort  of 
fruit,  which  they  said  would  have  that  effect 
The  Arabs  are  very  fond  of  playing  upon  their 
prejudices,  and  a  few  years  back,  havings  caught, 
what  they  termed,  a  mermaid,  by  tormenting 
and  threatening  to  kill  it  they  extorted  con- 
siderable sums  from  the  humane  feelings  of 
the  Banyans. 


LETTER  XXXV. 

Tournament  at  Hodeida. — Visits  to  the  Haram. — Manners 
and  Customs  of  the  Women. — Courteous  behaviour. 

The  gentlemen  frequently  took  evening 
rides  upon  donkeys  into  the  country,  which  in 
the  Tehama  appears  much  more  fertile  than 
in  the  Hedjaz,  in  the  immediate  neighbour- 
hood of  Yambo  and  Djidda.  They  one  day 
fell  in  with  the  Dowlah,  who  was  exercising 
his  troops,  and  a  sort  of  tournament  took  place, 
with   which   they  were  higlily  pleased.     The 


TOUllNAMENT.  333 

cavalrj-,  about  fifty  in  number,  mounted  upon 
spirited  blood-horses,  with  a  somewhat  jaded 
appearance,  Avas  composed  of  Hght  active  men, 
badly  dressed,  carrying  long  spears  in  their 
hands,  and  using  tlie  huge  Mameluke  shovel- 
shaped  stirrup.  Tliree  or  four  companies  of 
infantrj',  each  of  about  twenty-five  files,  in  two 
ranks,  preceded  tlie  Dowlah,  who  kept  on 
curveting  his  horse,  and  galloping  from  right 
to  left  at  full  speed.  When  he  had  tired  one 
horse  he  mounted  another,  and  his  infantry 
running  forward,  took  up  their  station  in  small 
detached  parties  of  twelve  or  fifteen  men,  be- 
hind sand-banks  on  a  rising  ground,  up  which 
he  furiously  rode,  shaking  his  spear,  and  was 
received,  at  the  distance  of  ten  or  twelve  paces, 
by  the  fire  of  the  Arabs.  He  then  turned 
short  off,  rode  down  the  hill,  and  re-ascend- 
ing it,  was  again  repulsed  by  them.  This  he 
repeated  several  times  ;  and  afterwards  his 
whole  cavalry  following  their  leader,  in  single 
file  at  full  gallop,  shouting,  shaking  their  wea- 
pons, and  flourishing  their  scimetars  most  des- 
perately, described  a  sort  of  circle,  ^vhicli  at 
each  evolution  became  narrower,  till  at  last, 
one  congregated  mass  was  formed,  and  both 
horses  and  riders  being  exhausted  with  their 
exertions,  mingled  so  confusedly  together,  that 
Bpear  ultimately  clashed  with  spear.   The  Dow- 


334  VISITS  TO  AN  AltAU  IIAllAM. 

lali  then  pulled  up,  and  received  tlie  salutations 
of  tlie  j\rabs  who  had  fired  at  Iiiiii,  by  offering 
his  liand  to  each  individual,  ^vho  respectfully 
touched  his  in  return.  They  then  fell  into  their 
ranks,  and  two  or  three  men,  apparently  the 
chieftains  of  the  party,  danced  a  c/iass^e,  right 
and  left,  flourishing  drawn  swords  and  creeses 
in  front  of  their  respective  companies,  which 
then  marched  off  in  order,  to  the  sound  of  tom- 
toms beating.  Is  not  this  like  the  chivalrous 
exercises  of  olden  time,  which  were  practised 
in  Europe  during  the  time  of  the  Crusades  ? 

In  C 's  absence,  I   always   remained  in 

my  own  room;  but  one  evening,  as  I  went  upon 
my  terrace  to  enjoy  the  fresh  sea-breeze  which 
was  Just  setting  in,  a  casement  which  I  had  never 
before  observed  slowly  opened,  and  a  black 
hand  appeared  waving  significantly  at  me.  Im- 
pressed with  some  degree  of  fear,  I  immediately 
retreated,  but  on  looking  again,  the  waving  was 
repeated ;  and  several  women  peeping  out,  beck-  \ 
oned  me  to  them,  making  signs  that  the  men 
were  all  out  of  the  way.  Whilst  I  was  hesitat- 
ing, a  Negro  woman  and  a  hoy  came  out  upon 
another  terrace,  and  vehemently  importuned 
me  by  signs  to  go  to  them.  I  had  just  been 
reading  Lady  Mary  Wortley  Montague's  de- 
scription  of  a  Turkish  Haram— an  opportunity 
might  never  again  occur  of  visiting  an    Arab 


I 


\'ISIT  Tl)  AN  ARAB  HAIIAM.  335 

one. — After  some  conflict  between  my  fears 
and  my  curiosity,  the  latter  conquered,  and 
down  I  went,  the  boy  meeting  me  at  the  foot 
of  tlie  stairs;  and, lifting  up  a  heavy  curtain,  he 
introduced  me  into  a  small  interior  court,  at 
the  door  of  which  were  a  number  of  women's 
slippers,  and  inside  were  about  a  dozen  females 
clothed  in  silk  trowsers,  vests  closely  fitting 
the  figure,  and  fastening  in  front,  and  turbans 
very  tastefully  put  on.  They  received  me  with 
the  utmost  cordiality  and  delight,  the  principal 
lady,  Zaccara,  as  I  found  she  was  called,  making 
me  sit  down  by  her  side,  caressingly  taking  my 
hand,  presenting  me  with  a  nosegay,  and,  after 
previously  tasting  it,  offering  me  coffee,  which 
was  brought  on  a  silver  tray,  in  the  usual  beau- 
tiful little  china  cups.  It  was,  however,  so  per- 
fumed that  I  could  scarcely  drink  it.  She  did 
the  honours,  and  appeared  as  superior  to  the 
others  in  manners  and  address,  as  an  English 
lady  would  be  to  her  maid-servants.  Her  figure 
was  light  and  slender — her  features  pretty  and 
delicate — her  countenance  lively  and  intelligent. 
— whilst  her  manners,  wliich  were  peculiarly 
soft  and  pleasing,  were  at  the  same  time  both 
affectionate  and  sprightly.  The  other  women 
crowded  round  me  with  great  empressemeni ;  by 
signs  we  kept  up  a  very  animated  conversation, 
and  when  we  could  not  quite  comprehend  each 


330  VISIT  TO  AN  ARAB   IIAHA.M. 

other's  meaning,  we  all  laughed  heartily.  They 
asked  me  where  I  came  from,  whether  I  liad 
many  ornaments,  any  children,  &c.  exhibiting 
theirs  with  great  glee.  They  were  amazingly 
struck  with  my  costume,  whicii  they  examined 
so  minutely,  that  I  hegan  to  think  I  should  have 
had  to  undress  to  satisfy  their  curiosity  ;~but 
what  most  amused  them,  was,  the  circumstance 
of  my  gown  fastening  behind,  whicli  mystery 
they  examined  over  and  over  again,  and  some 
hroad  French  tucks  at  tlie  bottom  seemed  much 
to  astonisli  them,  as  they  could  not  discover 
their  use.  They  asked  me  tlie  names  of  every 
thing  1  liad  on,  and  when,  to  please  them,  I 
took  off  my  cap,  and  let  down  my  long  hair, 
Zaccara,  following  my  example,  immediately  ■ 
took  off  her  turban  and  showed  me  hers:  the  V 
Negro  woman,  who  seemed  the  wit  of  the 
party,  in  the  mean  time  holding  up  the  laee 
cap  upon  her  broad  fat  hand,  and  exhibiting 
it  to  all  around,  apparently  with  great  admira- 
tion, exclaiming  "  caap,  caap,"  and  also  endea- 
vouring, much  to  their  detriment,  to  put  ooJ 
my  gloves,  with  winch  they  were  particularly  | 
amused.  I  sat  with  them  some  time,  and  it  was 
with  difficulty  they  consented  to  allow  me  to 
leave  them  at  last ;  indeed,  not  till  I  made 
them  understand  my  "  Cowasjee"  wanted  me. ; 
Cowasjee's  claims   they  seemed  to  understand! 


M 

0 

__e  


VISITS  TO  AN  ARAB  IIARAM. 


337 


completely,  and,  on  my  rejoining  the  gentle- 
men, if  I  were  amused  with  their  description 
of  the  tournament,  you  may  conceive  how  as- 
tonished they  were  to  learn  that  I  had  been 
actually  visiting  the  Haram  ! 

On  the  following  morning  I  had  an  invi- 
tation, in  form,  to  repeat  my  visit,  and  I  was 
conducted  up  a  very  handsome  collegiate-look- 
ing staircase,  near  which  was  stationed  the 
master  of  the  iiouse,  apparently  at  his  devo- 
tions, but  evidently  intending  to  have  a  furtive 
peep  at  me,  without  my  being  aware  of  his  so 
doing.  I  was  now  received  in  state  in  the  in- 
terior apartments,  and  all  the  ladies  were  much 
more  splendidly  dressed  than  on  the  preceding 
evening.  Zaccara  had  on  handsome  striped 
silk  drawers,  and  a  silk  vest  descending  to  her 
feet,  richly  trimmed  with  silver  lace.  All 
their  hands  and  feet  were  dyed  with  henna, 
and  they  were  much  surprised  to  see  mine  of 
their  natural  colour.  Tiie  furniture  consisted 
principally  of  conches  ranged  round  the  room, 
upon  which  they  invited  me  to  sit  cross-legged, 
after  their  own  mode,  and  seemed  astonished 
at  my  preferring  our  European  style.  On 
the  walls  was  a  sentence  of  the  Koran  framed 
and  glazed,  and  in  a  recess  was  an  illuminated 
Koran,  whicli  they  showed  me.  An  interesting- 
looking  young  woman,  seated  in  a  low  chair, 

VOL.    1.  Z 


338  VISITS  TO  AN  ARAB  IIARAM. 

was  employed  in  making  silver  lace,  the  pro- 
cess of  which  she  explained  to  me,  as  also  its 
use  to  trim  vests  and  turbans.     My  costume 
underwent  the  same  minute  investigation  as 
on  the  yesterday,  and  as  at  this  time  I  had  on 
no  cap,  they  were  much  struck  with  the  man- 
ner in  which  my  hair  was  dressed,  and  my  shoes 
and  stockings  created    universal  astonishment 
Refreshments  were  brought,  but  every  thing 
was  carefully  tasted  before  it  was  offered  to 
me, — I  suppose  to  show  no  treachery  was  in- 
tended,— and  I  was  again  interrogated  as    to 
my   ornaments,  children,  &c*     They  told    me 
all  their  names,  and  endeavoured,  but  in  vain, 
to  accomplish  mine. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  shriek  of  joy,  laughing 
and  clapping  of  hands.  They  drew  me  quick- 
ly to  the  window,  from  whence  I  saw  C 

walking  in  the  streets,  with  one  of  his  servants 
holding  an  umbrella  over  his  head,  surrounded 
by  an  immense  concourse  of  people ;  and  very 
foreign  he  certainly  did  look  in  the  streets  of 
Hodeida,  with  his  English  dress  and  hat.  The 
delight  of  my  fair,  or  rather  of  my  dusky 
friends,  was  beyond  description  ;  but  it  was  re- 
doubled, when  they  found  it  was  my  Cowasjee. 
The  master  of  the  house  then  came  in  :  he 
treated  me  with  the  greatest  deference  and  re- 
spect, and,  bringing  me  a  little  baby  with  gold 


VISITS  TO  AN  AltAD  liARAM. 


339 


rings  in  its  nose  and  ears,  with  all  a  father's 
pride  he  informed  me  it  was  his,  and  that 
Zaccara  was  its  mother. 

He  also  asked  me  about  my  children  and  my 
ornaments,  the  two  things  always  apparently 
foremost  in  an  Oriental  imagination.  My  wed- 
ding-ring catching  the  eyes  of  the  women,  I 
made  them  partly  understand  its  signification, 
but  they  evidently  seemed  to  consider  it  as  a 
charm. 

Zaccara  then  taking  my  hand  with  a  very 
caressing  air,  invited  me  to  accompany  her, 
and  she  showed  me  all  over  the  house.  It 
was  completely  "  upstairs,  downstairs,  in  my 
lady's  chamber,"  and  I  saw  a  number  of  small 
rooms,  with  loopholes  and  windows  in  every 
direction,  where  they  could  see  without  being 
seen.  They  pointed  out  to  me  our  Ship,  the 
Bazaar,  the  Mosque,  from  whence  the  Dowlah 
was  just  returning  in  grand  procession;  and 
they  then  exhibited  to  me  all  their  ornaments 
and  trinkets.  In  return,  I  showed  tliem  such 
as  I  had  about  me.  My  friend  the  negro  wo- 
man, poor  black  Zaecbina  as  she  was  called,  was 
the  only  one  who  ventured  to  smell  to  my  salts, 
and  this  she  did  with  so  much  eagerness,  that  the 
tears  were  forced  into  her  eyes  in  consequence, 
to  Ihe  great  amusement  of  her  companions. 

We  parted  with  mutual  expressions  of  re- 
;;  2 


340  VISITS  TO  AN  ARAB  IIARAM. 

gard ;  and  though  I  had  met  with  neither  the 
beauty  of  Fatima,  nor  the  luxury  of  a  Turkish 
Haram,  yet  I  was  well  pleased  with   the  sim- 
plicity,  mirth,  and  happiness,  that   apparently 
reigned  in  the  Arab  one;  and  I  should  have 
been  churlish  indeed  had  I  not  been  gratified 
with   their   friendly   and    artless    attempts    to 
please  me.     Indeed,  1  flatter  myself  I  made  a 
conquest,  for  a  great  boy  of  twelve  or  fourteen 
took  such  a  fancy  to  me,  that  he  volunteered 
to  accompany  me  to  "  Hindy"  in  the  **  M erkab," 
or  ship,  and  he  really  appeared  anxious  for  me 
to  accept  of  his  services.    What  should  you  have 
thought  of  my  Arab  page?     The  women  in 
Arabia   are,  apparently,  allowed  more  Uberty 
than  in  Egypt,  for  they  seemed  to  be  permitted 
to  walk  out  together  whenever  they  pleased ; 
and  once,  as  we  were  setting  out  for,  and  they 
were  returning  from  a  promenade,  we  met  in 
the  court.      They  were  so  carefully  veiled,  that 
I  had  some  difficulty  to  recognize  my  friends  of 
the  Haram  again,  but  they  affectionately  seized 
my  hand,  and  caressingly  invited  me  to  return 
with  them  to  their  apartments.     All  the  gen- 
tlemen were  with  me,  and  I  cannot  help  think- 
ing tliat  the  Arab  ladies  prolonged  their  inter- 
view purposely,  in  order  to  have  a  better  view 
of  the  Fringee  Cowasjees,  my  companions. 
The   thermometer,   whilst    we    were    here. 


UETURN  TO  THE  Sllll', 


^4/ 
^^ 

ranged  from  90"  to  94",  but  though  the  heat  was 
intense  at  noon,  it  was  pleasantly  attempered 
in  the  mornings  and  evenings  by  the  sea 
breezes,  and  the  gentlemen  found  the  bathing 
in  tlie  sea  very  agreeable.  The  dews  were  very 
heavy,  but  apparently  innoxious ;  for,  though 

C frequently  slept  on  the  open  terrace  for 

fresh  air,  he  never  exiierienced  any  injury  from 
so  doing. 


LETTER  XXXVI. 

Difficult  return  to  the  ship. — Mocha. —Residency. — Imaun 
of  Sanaa. — Predilection  for  English  atticles. — Mosque  of 
Sheik  Hadti. — Caravansera. — Abyssinian  Viltage:. —  Ma- 
hometan Festival.— War  dance  of  the  Arabs. 

The  surf  was  high  and  the  sea  very  rough, 
when,  on  the  afternoon  of  July  7tli,  quitting 
Hodeida,  we  again  repaired  to  the  George 
Cruttenden ;  but  though  we  had  expressly 
hired  the  boat  which  was  to  convey  us  thither 
for  our  own  private  use,  we  found  it  filled  with 
the  blind.tlie maimed  and  the  halt;  poor  Hadjes, 
who  hoped  to  obtain  a  passage  gratis  to  Bom- 
bay, and  whom  the  Nachoda  allowed  to  come 
on  board,  it  being  a  Mahometan  charity  to 
convey  a  certain  number  of  Pilgrims  home,  and 
to  feed  them  during  the  voyage.     The  viind 


342  MOCiiA. 

was  so  strong,  and  the  waves  so  tremendous, 
that  it  was  ^vith  considerable  difficulty  our 
little  bark  reached  the  ship,  and  this  was  not 
effected,  till  one  of  the  crew,  a  strange  amphi- 
bious-looking personage,  dashing  fearlessly  into 
the  sea,  by  swimming  and  diving,  at  length 
caught  a  rope  flung  to  him  by  the  sailors  on 
board,  with  which,  after  much  buffeting  and 
contending  with  the  waves,  he  at  length  re- 
turned to  us,  and  knotting  it  to  another  rope, 
in  this  rough  manner  was  our  boat  hauled  along 

side. 

At  daybreak  we  passed  some  islands,  and  at 
noon  we  were  within  sight  of  Mocha,  and  in 
its  roadstead,  for  harbour  it  has  jione,  we  an- 
chored about  2  p.  M.  at  about  four  miles  dis- 
tance from  the  shore. 

The  wind  was  still  very  powerful,  the  waves 
high,  and  the  surf  really  dreadful ;  but  however, 
we  gladly  caught  at  the  opportunity  of  imme- 
diately going  on  shore  in  the  long  boat.  From 
its  violent  pitching  whilst  they  were  lowering 
me  into  it,  I  was  nearly  precipitated  into  the 
sea ;  and  had  not  one  of  the  party  caught  me 
before  I  was  consigned  to  the  briny  deep,  I 
verily  believe  I  should  have  ended  my  life  and 
my  adventures  off  Mocha.  Although  there 
was  a  tolerable  pier,  running  perhaps  a  hun- 
dred yards  into  the  sea,  yet,  on  account  of  its 


UUlTISIl  I'KKSIDENCY, 


343 


roughness,  we  Iiad  some  difficulty  in  effecting 
a  landing,  and  when  once  on  terra  finna,  we 
were  instantly  beset  with  such  a  host  of  beg- 
gars so  loudly  vociferating.  "  Beebee  —  Cowas- 
jec!"  that  poor  Beebee  really  felt  quite  alarmed. 
As  we  passed  the  gates  of  the  city,  our  olfac- 
tory nerves  were  saluted  by  a  most  inodorous 
gale,  proeeetling  from  the  quantities  of  sea- 
weed, which  are  here  thrown  up  by  the  vio- 
lence of  the  waves,  and  being  suffered  to  re- 
main there,  the  intolerable  stench  arising  from 
them,  wlien  In  a  putrescent  state,  not  unfre- 
quently  produces  illness.  The  former  British 
factory  was  much  incommoded  thereby.  The 
present,  to  which  we  immediately  proceeded, 
is  farther  removed  from  the  sea-shore,  and  be- 
ing an  excellent  house  for  Arabia,  and  at  this 
present  time  fitted  up  in  t!ie  English  style,  it 
appeared  to  the  way-worn  wanderers  extremely 
comfortable.  There  were  the  heavy-arched 
gateway,  the  interior  court,  narrow  staircases, 
projecting  windows,  and  flat-terraced  roof  of 
Hodeida,  though  the  house  was  neither  on  so 
large  a  scale,  nur  on  so  intricate  a  plan  as  our 
domicile  tlicre.  There  were  niches,  or  recesses, 
in  the  walls,  perforations  and  openings  in  every 
direction  to  admit  the  air,  a  high  shelf  run- 
ning round  the  room,  and  in  some  of  the  win- 
dows was  coloured  glass,  or  rather,  1  believe,  a 


344  VISIT  TO  THE  resident. 

stained  transparent  stone,  very  much  resem- 
bling in  appearance  the  painted  glass  in  our 
cathedrals. 

We  received  a  most  friendly  and  hospitable 
reception  from  the  Resident,  who,  with  his 
Surgeon,  were  the  only  English  at  Mocha.  He 
immediately  sent  the  latter  in  his  schooner  for 
the  General,  who  had  not  accompanied  us  on 
shore ;  but  the  wind  was  so  strong,  and  the 
surf  so  high,  that  it  drifted  away,  and  after 
many  fruitless  attempts,  he  was  obhged  to 
abandon  the  undertaking.  The  sea  is  so  pow- 
erfully rough  here,  that  sometimes  three  or 
four  days  elapse  without  the  ships  at  anchor 
being  able  to  communicate  with  the  town.  On 
the  following  day  they  were  more  successful, 
and  the  General  came  on  shore.  At  the 
custom-house,  though  they  were  not  so  annoy- 
ing as  Niebuhr  found  them,  yet  they  paid  no 
attention  to  the  Grand  Signor's  firman,  which 
had  hitherto  been  respected  at  every  other 
place,  and  the  General's  things  underwent  the 
same  examination  with  ours.  The  Arab  go- 
vernment here  appear  to  own  no  allegiance  to 
the  Porte,  neither  do  they  seem  to  have  any 
reverence  for  the  English.  The  Dowlah  is  an 
Abyssinian  slave,  who  holds  his  government 
luider  the  authority  of  the  Imaun  of  Sanaa. 
Tlie  Surgeon  of  the  Residency  had  just  returned 


IMAUN  OF  SANAA.  345 

from  thence,  having  been  professionally  sent 
for  by  the  latter  potentate.  He  was  seventeen 
days  on  his  journey  tliither,  which  lie  perform- 
ed upon  a  donkey,  accompanied  by  a  strong 
guard. 

The  Imaun  wished  much  to  have  detained 
Mr. .  He  appears  to  have  a  strong  pen- 
chant for  every  thing  European,  even  adopting 
our  costume  to  a  certain  degree,  and  having  a 
regular  supply  of  hats  and  shoes  sent  to  him. 
One  day  he  made  his  appearance  before  his 
subjects  in  an  English  general's  full  dress  uni- 
form; but  this  gave  such  oftence,  that  he  never 
again  ventured  to  make  his  appearance  in  this 
costume  in  public.  Tlie  interior  country  of  the 
Tehama  is  very  hilly,  and  Sanaa  is  on  such  an 
elevation*  that  the  climate  is  quite  temperate, 
and  there  is  every  kind  of  European,  as  well 
as  Asiatic  fruit  flourishing  there ;  indeed,  from 
the  descriptiot),  it  seems  to  be  ahnost  a  ter- 
restrial paradise,  and  to  those  who  have  just 
left  the  Desert  and  the  barren  coast,  it  must 
really  appear  like  the  fabled  gardens  of  Ad, 
which  are  said  to  be  situated  in  these  regions, 

*  It  ig  situated  oq  an  elevated  and  eKteusive  plain,  sur- 
rounded by  niountains,  about  two  thousand  feet  high.  The 
country  is  weli  cultivated  ;  much  wine  is  made  by  the  Jews, 
aod  coffee  grows  in  the  valleys.  In  May,  the  thermometer 
there  was  about  50°  in  the  moruingia  and  eveiiiugs,  and  75° 


34G  APPEARANCE  or  MOCIIA. 

though  only  occasionally  visible  to  the  wan- 
derer in  the  Wilderness.     The  houses  are  well 
built,  some  partly  of  marble,  and  they  are  gene- 
rally glazed.     The  Imaun's  is  furnished  with 
European  articles  principally.     The  interior  of 
the  country  seems  to  be  very  unsafe,  and  we 
found  cause  to  rejoice  at  having  abandoned  the 
intention  we   had    once   formed  of   travelling 
from    Hodeida   to   Mocha    by    land;    indeed, 
Blocha  itself    does   not   always  appear  to   be 
quite  free  from  the  attacks  and  incursions  of 
.  the  neighbouring  Arabs,  for,  during  our  tempo- 
rary sejour  there,  the  gates  were  occasionally 
closed  to  prevent  their  entering,  and  one  day  we 
were  under  considerable  alarm  for  the  safety  of 
our  party,  who  had  gone  to  the  Resident's  gar- 
den-house, about  two  miles  from  the  city,  for 
the  advantage  of  bathing,  it  being  impossible  to 
bathe  here  in  the  sea,  on  account  of  the  rocky 
coast  and  filthy  state  of  the  shore.    During  their 
absence  there  was   a  terrible   commotion,  the 
consequences  of  which  might  have  been  unplea- 
sant ;  the  Arabs  of  the  interior  came  down  to 
seize  some   persons  who  had  taken  refuge  in 
Mocha :    however,    they    eventually    retreated 
without  doing  much  mischief,  though  they  ef- 
fected an  entree,  and  the  gentlemen  rejoined  us, 
without  having  even  fallen  in  with  them. 


I 


MOS(JL'i:  or  SIIKIK  (lADLI. 


347 


Moclia,  with  its  white  chunamed.  Hat-terraced 
houses,  and  minarets  interspersed  with  occa- 
Bional  date-trees,  has  rather  a  pretty  appearance, 
particidarly  from  the  sea.  The  streets  are  nar- 
row, xmpaved,  and  overhung  with  projecting 
windows.  Many  of  the  houses  are  richly  orna- 
mented with  highly  finished  cornices,  fret- 
work and  other  arahesque  decorations;  and  the 

I  mosques  witli  their  tall  and  elegant  minarets, 
from  whence  tlie  Muezzin  calls  the  faithful 
Mussulmans  to  prayer,  are  extremely  hand- 
aome,  particularly  that  which  hears  the  name 
pi  the  famous   Sheik    Hadli.      Through   the 

fgate  which  bears  the  same  name,  Christians  and 
Other  unbelievers  were  not,  till  very  lately,  al- 
lowed to  pass.  I  looked  into  the  interior  of 
one,  for  Fringees  are  not  allowed  to  enter,  and 

II  saw  hut  little  more  tlian  a  large,  square,  un- 
furnished room.  A  caravansera  which  we  vi- 
Mted,  built,  I  beheve,  by  the  Turks,  and  very 
imuch  out  of  repair,  presented  to  our  view  a 
large  square  building,  with  a  pretty  little 
mosque  in  the  centre  of  the  interior  court,  and 
unfurnished  apartments  all  round,  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  travellers.  Outside  of  the 
gates  of  the  city  was  the  Abyssinian  village, 
^^^  consisting  of  some  most  extraordinary  ranges  of 
^^■thatclied,  conical-shaped   huts,  looking  like  so 


c 

i 


348  ™£  GAZELLE. 

many  beehives.     The  Abyssinians  supply  3Io- 
cha  with  grain,  wood  and  vegetables^*  and  ccm- 
siderable  intercourse  takes  place  between  this 
city  and  Massoah  on  the  opposite  coast.    3Iany 
of  the  Abyssinian  natives  are  constantly  to  be 
met  with  in  the  streets  of  Mocha,  with   tall, 
upright  and  slender  figures,  intelligent  counte- 
nances, fine  features,  and  a  peculiarly  sparkling 
and  vivacious  eye ;  their  hair  arranged,  curled 
and  dyed  with  the  utmost  care,  gives  a  sort  of 
foppish  air  to  their  appearance.     The  milange 
of  Oriental  nations  and  costumes  which   we 
saw  in  IMocha  was  really  very  curious :   there 
were,  besides  the  Abyssinian  dandies,   several 
of  our  Banyan    friends,  with   their    singular 
turbans;    the   wild-looking    Bedouin    of    the 
Desert,    armed    cap-a-pie;  the   more    civiliz- 
ed  Arab  of  the   town  ;   the  peaceful-looking 
Hindoo,  in  his  silk  trowsers  and  snow-white 
angrica;   and   the   magnificent   Turk,  who  is, 
however,   but  rarely  here  to  be   seen,  in    his 
splendid,  handsome  and  cumbrous  attire.    Here 
I   first   saw    the  light,    the   elegant,  and   the 
beautiful  gazelle  running  about  the    streets, 
playfully  attempting  to  butt  us  as  we  passed ; 
also  what  is  termed  in  India  the  Braminee  bull, 
with   the  hunch   on    his   shoulders;   and    we 

♦  The  Resident's  table  was  well  supplied  with  grapes, 
pomegranates,  mangoes,  and  other  fruits;  but,  I  believe, 
these  were  brought  down  from  the  interior. 


CLIMATE  OF  MOCIIA. 


349 


sometimes  met  the  Dowlah's  Iiorses  exercising, 
among  winch  were  some  of  the  high  caste 
Nedjedy  breed,  and  which,  compared  with  our 
English  steeds,  are  small,  light,  and  active,  and 
there  were  also  some  of  the  strong,  heavy  and 
ponderous  Dongola  species. 

Although  I  probably  was  the  first  English 
woman  who  ever  perambulated  the  streets  of 
Mocha  in  this  fearless  manner,  I  met  with  no 
molestation;  and,  though  at  first  we  never  went 
forth  without  a  guard  of  Sepoys,  yet  subse- 
quently   C and    I    took    some   Ute-a-tete 

walks,  without  any  more  cause  for  alarm,  than 
if  we  had  been  parading  the  streets  of  Paris. 

The  climate  of  Mocha  is  oppressive  and  dis- 
spiriting.  but  the  Surgeon  told  us,  he  did  not 
consider  it  as  particularly  unhealthy.  Owing 
to  tiie  deleterious  effects  of  the  water,  which, 
though  pleasant  to  the  taste,  is  prejudicial  to 
the  constitution,  many  disorders  are  occasioned, 
particularly  severe  pains  in  the  limbs,  to  which 
it  is  necessary  to  pay  immediate  attention. 
The  thermometer  seldom  rose  much  above  90", 
but  we  were  all  very  much  overcome  with  the 
heat,  the  atmosphere  having  an  unpleasant 
moisture  in  it,  which  is  very  relaxing,  and 
enervating.  The  evenings,  however,  were  very 
pleasant,  and  these  we  used  to  spend  upon  the 
terraced  roof  of  the  Residency,  upon  which  was 
erected  a  sort  of  light  wicker-work  Bungalow, 


350  MAHOMETAN  FESTIVAL. 

with  a  temporary  sleeping  apartment.  From 
the  adjoining  terrace  we  had  a  fine  view  over 
the  flat-roofed,  white-chunamed  town  of  Mocha, 
whose  houses  are  ornamented  with  fantastic 
arabesque  fretwork  and  elegant  tracery ;  the 
projecting  balconies  decorated  with  beautiful 
carved  woodwork,  and  the  windows  partially 
glazed  with  stained  glass,  whilst  the  square 
uniformity  of  the  buildings  is  agreeably  diversi- 
fied with  light  and  airy  turrets.  In  front  were 
the  blue  waters  of  the  Red  Sea ;  on  one  side, 
a  dark  grove  of  date-trees  extended  along  the 
shore  ;  whilst  on  the  other,  beyond  a  wide  and 
barren  desert,  might  be  seen  a  picturesque 
range  of  mountains. 

The  Banyan  merchants  soon  found  us  out, 
and  paid  us  the  greatest  attention,  frequently 
calling,  and  bringing  little  offerings  of  JMocha 
coffee  and  honey.  When  the  visits  were  re- 
turned, the  guests,  before  they  took  their  leave, 
were  profusely  sprinkled  with  Attargut  and 
rose-water,  some  of  which,  as  a  mark  of  atten- 
tion, was  skilfully  thrown  into  their  eyes ! 

The  15th  of  July  was  a  great  festival  with 
the  Mahometans.*  It  was  kept  in  commemo- 
ration of  the  intended  sacrifice  of  Isaac,  or  as 
they  say,  Ishmael,  whom  as  their  progenitor 
they  naturally  greatly  venerate  :  the  scene  of 
this  transaction,  they  assert,  was  at  Mecca  instead 

•  The  Buckree  Mohurrum. 


MOCHA  WOMEN.  351 

of  Mount  Moriah.  Great  splendour  of  atthe 
was  displayed  by  the  inhabitants  of  Mocha 
upon  this  occasion.  Rich  and  many -coloured 
robes  were  exhibited,  superb  vests  handsomely 
trimmed  with  gold  and  silver,  magnificent 
shawls,  and  in  their  turbans  every  one  wore 
wreaths  and  nosegays  of  the  sweet-scented 
Mogrey. 

I  saw  our  Nachoda  Saboo  ben  Tayib  peram- 
bulating the  streets,  and  looking  really  very 
grand  and  important  in  a  rose-coloured  tunic. 
Upon  their  festivals,  those  Mahometans  who 
have  no  fine  clothes  of  their  own,  make  a  point 
of  hiring  them,  however  poor  and  wretched 
they  may  be  at  other  times  :^an  admirable 
method  of  spreading  and  periietuatlng  the 
plague  this,  as  the  garments  descend  from  ge- 
neration to  generation. 

The  women  here  were  always  closely  veiled, 
but  they  seemed  to  enjoy  as  much  liberty  as  in 
an  European  town,  and  in  the  square  upon 
which  one  of  our  windows  looked,  we  frequent- 
ly saw  them  walking  about,  or  conversing  to- 
gether in  little  knots.  I  believe  they  have  the 
privilege  of  divorcing  their  husbands  when- 
ever they  please,  always  retaining  their  mar- 
riage portion.  The  Arabs  have  a  wild  inde- 
pendence and  manly  frankness  in  their  manner, 
which  is  very  superior  to  the  obsequiousness 
and  ser\'ility  of  other  Oriental  nations.    Instead 


352  ARAB  WAR-DANCE. 

of  salaaming  down  to  the  ground  like  the  Hin- 
doos, they  far  more  frequently  offer  the  hand 
m  the  English  fashion,  and  shake  it  heartily, 
quite  in  the  true,  honest,  John  Bull  style. 

We  were  one  day  witnesses  to  a  very  extra- 
ordinary and  amusing  spectacle — ^a  re^lar  war 
dance  of  the  Arahs,  which  took  place  in  the 
square  opposite  the  Dowlah's  house.  A  num- 
her  of  wild-looking  natives,  half^lothed,  but 
all  armed,  holding  in  one  hand  a  creese,  a 
sword,  or  a  scimitar,  and  in  the  other  a  raised 
bludgeon,  moved  slowly  round  and  round,  fol- 
lowmg  one  another  in  a  circle,  chanting  a  sort 
of  recitative,  to  which  they  moved  in '  solemn 
measure,  with  steps  neither  quite  marching  nor 
quite  dancing,  but  something  between  both. 
At  regular  intervals,  they  paused,  raised  and 
clashed  their  weapons,  simultaneously,  keeping 
time  together  in  a  sort  of  grand  chorus.  I 
never  saw  bold,  daring,  savage  determination, 
and  spirited  resolution  so  strongly  and  so  ener- 
getically portrayed — it  was  one  of  the  finest, 
yet  wildest  scenes  I  ever  beheld — they  seemed 
in  a  state  of  perfect  enthusiasm,  and  fit  for  any 
bold  exploit  —  and  similar  to  this,  perhaps, 
might  have  been  the  war-dances  of  the  ancients. 
The  rude  chant  was  more  inspiring  than  regular 
music,  and  I  am  convinced  that,  in  this  manner, 
the  pas^ons  might  be  thereby  raised  almost  to  a 
pitch  of  frenzy. 


STILVITS  OF  BAD-EI^MANDEB. 


LETTER  XXXVII. 

Straits  of  Bab-el- Masdeb, — Maaners  of  the  Crew  and  Pas- 
se Dgew.— Monsoon. — Rough   weather.— Arrival  at  Bom- 


On  the  afternoon  of  the  15th  of  July,  we 
took  leave  of  our  kind  host,  and  again  embark- 
ed upon  the  rough  siu-ges  of  the  Red  Sea. 
We  found  our  cabin  windows  closed  and  the 
dead  lights  up,  in  anticipation  of  the  rough 
seas  we  were  to  encounter  in  the  Indian  Ocean. 
All  the  following  day,  there  was  "  dreadful 
note  of  preparation,"  the  cannon  were  taken 
down,  and  sent  below,  every  thing  on  board 
was  lashed,  and  the  General's  four  horses  were 
secured  by  some  extra  strong  posts,  which  were 
put  up  for  the  purpose.  The  Naciioda  offered 
us  his  cabin,  which,  though  smaller  than  our 
own,  from  being  upon  deck  was  more  airy ; 
and  of  this  we  gladly  availed  ourselves,  as  the 
heat  below  was  intolerable. 

At  4  p.  M.  we  set  sail  with  a  fair  breeze,  but 
the  wind  slackening  at  night,  the  Maloom  or 
Pilot  lay  to,  being  apprehensive  of  passing  the 
Straits  in  the  night— those  dreadful  Straits, 
which,  from  time  immemorial,  have  filled  the 
heart  of  the  wandering  mariner,  with  fear  and 
dismay,  and   which   have  acquired  for  tbem- 

voL.  1.  a  A 


354  STRAITS  OF  BAB-IX-MANDEB. 

selves  tlie  melancholy  but  poetical  title  of  Bab- 
el-Mandeb,  or  "  the  Gate  of  Tears, **  from  the 
dismal  end,  that  there  too  frequently  awaits  the 
ill-fated  bark.  The  result  of  sad  experience, 
and  a  highly  fanciful  imagination,  lead  the  su- 
perstitious Arabs  to  believe  that  the  Genius  of 
the  coming  storm  loves  here  to  station  himsdf, 
and  to  ensnare  the  unhappy  voyager ;  or  perch- 
ed upon  Cape  Guardafui,  there  to  enjoy  the 
sight  of  the  misery  he  has  occasioned.  Oh! 
the  bathos  of  John  Bull !  Will  any  thing  ever 
teach  him  taste  and  sentiment  ?  He  calls  these 
poetically-termed  Straits,  by  the  vulgar,  the 
ludicrous  name  of — the  bobs!!!  Through 
the  lesser  Bob  did  we  pass  upon  the  morning  of 
the  I6th ;  a  passage  of  about  three  miles  wide, 
which  is  formed  by  the  high  land  of  the  Ara- 
bian Coast,  and  the  small  desert  Island  of  Perim; 
upon  this,  the  English,  at  one  time,  endeavour- 
ed to  establish  a  fortress,  but  want  of  water 
constrained  them  to  abandon  the  enterprise. 

The  day  was  pleasant,  and  the  sea,  the  trea- 
cherous sea  continued  to  wear  a  calm  and  smooth 
aspect,  whilst  I,  little  weening,  of  ills  to  come, 
deemed  that  the  Genius  of  the  storm,  out  of 
compliment  to  the  first  Englishwoman  who  had 
passed  outwards  through  "  the  Gate  of  Tears," 
had  gallantly  abstained  from  exacting  from  her 
his  customary  tribute  of  trouble  and  distress. 


ARABIAN  GULF. 


Alas  !  this  pleasing,  this  flattering  delusion 
not  of  long  continuance. 

No  sooner  were  we  fairly  in  the  Arabian 
Gulf,  than  the  thermometer,  which  had  been  at 
94"  in  the  Red  Sea,  fell  several  degrees,  and  the 
light  breeze  freshened  into  a  strong  but  steady 
wind.  A  heavy  swell  appeared  upon  the  sea, 
and  the  blue  heavens  were  obscured  with 
clouds.  To  our  torridized  feelings,  80"  of  the 
thermometer  appeared  positively  cool,  and  we 
all  congratulated  each  other  upon  the  delight- 
ful change  in  the  atmosphere,  which  made  it 
requisite  to  assume  a  warmer  style  of  dress. 
Cockroaches  and  ants  vanished  from  the  deck, 
upon  which  it  was  now  pleasant  to  spend  the 
whole  day,  watching  the  mighty  expanse  of 
waters,  and  losing  one's  self  in  the  delight- 
fully wild  reveries  which  this  sublime  spectacle 
must  necessarily  awaken  in  the  coldest  and 
most  unpoetical  imagination. 

On  tlie  19th,  large  drops  of  rain  fell  in  the 
evening,  which  increasing  to  a  heai'y  shower, 
forced  us  to  retire  to  our  cabins.  Excepting 
a  slight  fall  at  Alexandria,  we  had  not  seen 
rain  since  we  left  Malta,  and  we  hailed  the 
api>earance  as  that  of  an  old  friend,  reminding 
us  of  our  native  country,  those  green  isles  of 
the  west,  where 

'*  The  rain  it  mincth  every  day." 
2a2 


355  ^H 

lusiou  was  ^^1 


356  THE  CREW. 

Whilst  upon  deck,  it  was  a  considerable 
amusement  to  watch  the  proceedings  d  the 
Indian  crew,  which,  to  me,  were  a  novel  sight 
Sometimes,  one  more  devout  than  the  rest,  un- 
tying his  cumberhand,  and  spreading  it  upon 
deck,  would  kneel  down,  and  go  through  all  the 
mummery  of  the  Mahometan  ritual,  prostrating 
himself,  touching  the  ground  with  his  forehead, 
and  at  intervals  stroking  his  beard  with  the  ut^ 
most  gravity.  In  the  evening,  it  was  a  fine  and 
impressive  scene,  after  the  crew  had,  in  a  clear 
and  sonorous  voice,  been  called  by  the  Mues- 
zin  to  prayers,  to  behold  them,  unmindful  of 
spectators,  standing  in  a  row,  and  turning 
their  faces  towards  Mecca,  prostrating  them- 
selves in  homage,  and  devoutly  performing 
their  orisons. 

At  noon,  the  Nachoda  and  his  son,  the  Ma- 
loom,  and  the  principal  persons  on  board,  took 
their  repast,  which  generally  consisted  of  currjr 
or  pilau,  in  an  immense  dish,  which  was  placed 
upon  a  carpet  or  mat  upon  deck,  round  which 
all  seating  themselves,  each  helped  himself,  by 
plunging  his  hand  in,  which,  I  should  mention, 
was  previously  always  carefully  washed;  and 
when  he  had,  in  Homeric  phrase,  **  satisfied  the 
rage  of  hunger,"  or  in  plain  English,  eaten  as 
much  as  he  wished,  he  immediately  arose,  and 
going  a  little  aside,  an  attendant  in  waiting  with 


ARAB  STEEIISMAN.  ;J57 

an  ewer  and  basin,  offered  him  water,  with  which 
he  rinsed  his  mouth,  and  again  washed  his  face 
and  hands.  Tiie  rest  of  the  crew  seemed  to  live 
almost  entirely  upon  rice,  which  was  served  up 
in  the  same  manner,  though  with  less  cere- 
mony. Our  Naclioda  and  Maloom  always  de- 
ferred taking  an  obsen'ation  of  the  sun  till 
after  dinner,  when,  they  said,  they  found  their 
heads  clearer,  and  thenaselves  more  competent 
to  calculation.  However,  they  were  generally 
quite  erroneous  in  their  reckoning ;  and,  it  was 
to  our  kind  stars  we  were  indebted,  or,  I  should 
say,  to  the  care  of  Providence,  for  preservation 
in  these  stormy  seas,  rather  than  to  their  nau- 
tical skill.  One  day,  they  put  two  compasses 
close  together,  in  order  to  assist  each  otlier ! 

One  old  Arab,  who  generally  acted  as  steers- 
man, and  who  spoke  a  little  Italian,  which  he 
delighted  to  talk,  took  a  very  great  interest  in 
my  welfare,  and  was  always  recommending 
something  or  other  for  my  comfort.  "  Limo- 
nata"  was  his  constant  specific  against  every 
thing  —  and,  whenever  I  looked  paler  than 
usual,  and  felt  the  motion  of  the  sea  un])lca- 
sant,  he  would  attempt  to  console  me,  by  tell- 
ing me  how  many  days'  sail  we  were  yet  from 
Bombay.  The  pipe,  or  the  bur^,  consisting  of 
an  unpolished  cocoa-nut  shell,  which  contained 
water,  into  which  a  thick  reed  was  inserted  in- 


358  THE  CREW. 

stead  of  the  serpentine  tube,  termed  lieh,^  was 
in  constant  use  upon  deck,  and  handed  from  one 
to  another  in  succession.  One  day  whilst  he 
was  smoking,  unconsciously  did  I  fix  my  eyes 
thereon,  upon  which,  imagining,  I  suppose,  that 
I  was  anxiously  wishing  for  it,  he  immediately 
offered  it  to  me !  I  could  but  be  amused  with 
this  mark  of  Eastern  gallantry. 

The  Orientals  deem  all  Fringees  to  be  neces- 
sarily Hakims,  or  physicians,  and  the  crew  were 
consequently  very  fond  of  consulting  the  gen- 
tlemen upon  their  real,  or  fancied,  disorders,  and 
they  frequently  put  their  medical  knowledge  in 
practice,  for  their  benefit.     One  poor  man,  for 

whom  C was  called  upon  to  prescribe,  he 

found  was  positively  sick  from  vexation.  He 
had  ventured  his  little  all  in  a  speculation  of 
merchandize,  with  which  in  the  bustle  of  em- 
barkation, some  light-fingered  thief  had  walked 

off.    C ,  alas,  could  not  "  minister  to  a  mind 

diseased." 

Both  at  noon  and  at  night,  all,  but  those 
at  the  time  engaged  in  attending  to  the  ship, 
would  stretch  themselves  upon  the  deck  ;  and, 
with  the  sky  for  their  covering,  and  the  hard 
boards  for  their  pillow,  drawing  their  turbans 
over  their  faces,  were  soon  buried  in  slumber, 

*  This  is  similar  to  what  is  termed  in  India,  the  Hubble- 
bubble. 


VANITY  OF  THE  SAILORS. 


enjoying  that  rest,  too  often  sought  for  in  vain 
by  the  European  passengers. 

No  young  lady,  about  to  make  her  dehiit  at 
her  6rst  ball,  ever  bestowed  more  care  upon  her 
ringlets,  than  tliese  good  people  did  upon  their 
beards  and  mustachios ;  and  the  patience  with 
which  they  sat  under  tlie  barber's  liands,  whilst 
he  sought  to  give  the  latter  a  becoming  curl, 
and  the  self-complacency  with  which  they  were 
constantly  surveying  and  admiring  themselves 
in  a  small  pocket  mirror,  were  really  quite 
amusing.  Let  not  the  manly  sex  henceforth 
accuse  ours  of  vanity,  for,  I  verily  believe,  they 
surpass  us  therein,  as  well  as  in  love  of  finery 
and  dress. 

Soon  after  passing  the  Island  of  Socotra,  on 
the  Slst,  the  sea  assumed  a  stormy  appear* 
ance,  and  the  darkened  heavens  a  threatening 
aspect.  We  fell  in  with  the  south-west  mon- 
soon, and,  though  a  fair  wind  to  take  us  to 
Bombay,  for  some  days,  it  blew  a  regular  gale, 
during  which  period  the  weather  was  so  tem- 
pestuous, and  the  sea  so  rough,  that  the  violent 
pitching  of  the  vessel  %vas  most  unpleasant, 
whilst  the  things  breaking  from  their  lashings, 
and  rolling  about  upon  deck,  caused  a  most 
tremendous  noise,  intenningled  with  the  awful 
uproar  of  the  dashing  of  the  waves,  and  the 
howling  of  the  winds.  The  sailors  could  scarcely 


359 


360  ROUGH  WEATHER. 

keep  their  footings,  but  **  reeled  to  and  fro  like 
drunken  men/'  and  one  of  the  poor  Hadjes, 
returning  from  Mecca,  fell  a  victini  to  the  yio- 
lence  of  the  motion,  which,  his  emaciated  frame, 
weakened  by  a  long  course  of  hardships  and 
privation,  was  not  able  to  sustain. 

For  some  days  the  firmament  of  heaven  was 
too  much  obscured  with  clouds  to  make  any 
observation,  so  that,  after  we  were  once  fairly 
in  the  Indian  Ocean,  we  were  entirely  at  the 
mercy  of  the  winds  and  waves,  steering  general- 
ly, and  pretty  much  by  guess,  for  Bombay.  On 
the  28th,  neither  the  Nachoda  nor  the  Maloom, 
by  their  own  acknowledgment,  exactly  knew 
where  we  were,  when,  upon  sounding,  a  small 
shell  was  brought  up,  which  evinced  that  we  were 
on  the  bank  off  Bombay  Harbour,  and  scarcely 
could  the  olive-leaf  have  been  hailed  with 
more  transport  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  ark, 
than  was  this  demonstration  of  our  being  near 
the  end  of  our  voyage,  by  the  passengers  in 
the  George  Cruttenden. 

All  that  night  we  were  tremendously  tossed 
about,  but  on  the  following  day, 

Lo,  land !  and  all  was  well ; 

we  had  reached  our  wished-for  haven,  and 
about  nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  29th 
of  July  did  we  cast  anchor  in  the  Harbour  of 
Bombay. 


LANDING  AT  UOMBAV.  361 

The  Island,  the  fort,  the  hght-house,  Cola- 
bah,  with  houses  ami  barracks,  intemiingletl 
with  airy  cocoa-init-trees  and  lofty  palmyras, 
lay  outstretched  before  us,  ^vlnlst  beyond  was 
to  be  seen  the  Continent  of  India;  and  delight- 
ful indeed  did  land  appear  to  us,  after  so  many 
days  tossing  on  the  Indian  Ocean. 

Telegraphic  signs  having  communicated  the 
information  that  Sir  Hudson  Lowe  was  on 
board  the  George  Cruttenden,  in  a  short  time 
a  government  boat,  with  the  Town  Major, 
Lieutenant-Colonel  Willis,  came  to  receive 
him,  and  in  this  we  all  immediately  pro- 
ceeded to  shore,  congratulating  ourselves,  that, 
in  a  few  minutes,  a  termination  was  to  be  put 
to  our  stormy  voyage  from  the  Straits  of  Bab- 
el-Mandeb,  or  "  the  Gate  of  Tears,"  to  the  Pre- 
sidency of  Bombay. 


LETTER  XXXVIII. 


Landing  in  Bombay. — ^Palanquin. — Government  House. — 
First  appearance  of  every  Ibiog  delightful  from  contrast. 
—Anglo-Indian  Break faal.— English  Letters.— -Hamauls. 
— Chintz  Poglic,  and  Road  thither. 

Dr.  Johnson  tells  us  that  we  seldom  do  any 
thing,  or  leave  any  place  for  the  last  time, 
without  emotions  of  regret ;  but  in  spite  of  the 


362  PALANQITN. 

sage  moralist's  obserratioo,  and  at  the  risk  of 
being  thought  very  uns»itiniental,  I  must  can- 
didly acknowledge  that  I  quitted  the  G^rge 
Cruttenden  with  no  soisations  but  those  of 
pleasure.  After  so  long  romghimg  it  among 
turbaned  Turks  and  semi-civilized  Arabs,  the 
well-dressed,  hatted  gentry  on  the  walls  of  the 
Fort  of  Bombay,  who  were  watching  our 
movements,  and  the  cheerful,  appearance  of 
several  good-looking  white  houses,  promising 
English  comforts  and  accommodations,  were,  to 
such  weary  weather-beaten  wanderers,  really 
most  agreeable  objects ;  and  after  nearly  a  fort- 
night's monsooning  on  the  Indian  Ocean,  we 
were  right  glad  to  land  once  more  upon  terra 
firma.  Amid  the  roar  of  cannon,  fired  in  ho- 
nour of  Sir  Hudson  Lowe,  did  we  ascend  the 
dock  stairs,  and  here,  once  more  did  I  find  my- 
self in  a  completely  new  scene,  amid  strange 
faces,  and  stranger  garbs.  A  paint^  box,  de-* 
nominated  a  palanquin,  but  to  my  mind  very 
much  resembling  a  coffin  in  appearance,  was 
awaiting  my  arrival.  In  this  I  was  deposited, 
the  Hamauls,  or  bearers,  took  it  up,  and  the 
gentlemen  being  all  accommodated  with  other 
vehicles  and  conveyances,  off  we  all  set  to  the 
Government  House,  the  exterior  of  which  is 
certainly  not  very  superb,  and  not  equal  to  that 
of  many  gentlemen's  houses  in  England.     The 


GOVERNMENT  HOUSE.  3{J3 

interior,  Iiowever,  appeared  comfortable,  and 
tlie  staircase  and  drawing-room  are  handsome; 
but  to  the  feelings  of  those  jnst  escaped  from  a 
little  hot  cabin,  a  rolling  sea,  and  the  torments 
of  ants,  cockroaches,  and  musquitoes,  the  cool- 
ness of  tbe  air,  the  freshness  and  the  verdure 
of  all  around,  the  spacious  ball,  surrounded 
by  a  noble  verandah,  the  beautiful  variety  of 
shrubs  in  the  garden  upon  which  it  opened, 
were  positively  delightful .'  At  the  sight  of 
trees,  plants,  and  flowering  shrubs,  I  could  liave 
shed  tears  of  joy ;  for,  since  we  had  left  the 
banks  of  the  Nile,  we  had  seen  little  more  than 
barren  and  desert  wildernesses.  It  was  at  this 
time  the  height  of  the  monsoon,  when  vegeta- 
tion in  India  is  rank,  rapid,  and  luxuriant. 
The  heavens  were  obscured  with  clouds — the 
weather  had  the  mild,  pleasing,  and  half  me- 
lancholy appearance  of  a  ffrey  day  in  England, 
and  the  change  and  contrast  which  these  pre- 
sented to  the  unvarying  and  dazzling  brilliancy 
of  tbe  Egyptian  and  the  Arabian  sky,  were 
most  grateful  and  refreshing  to  the  feelings ; 
and  after  having  been  deprived,  for  such  a 
length  of  time,  of  the  accommodation  of  civil- 
ized life,  the  English  comforts  and  Oriental 
luxuries,  with  which  we  were  surrounded,  were 
more  than  ordinarily  agreeable.  The  repast 
was  served  up  in  the  Anglo-Indian  style,  which 


364  ANGLO-INDIAN  BREAKFAST. 

much  resembles  our  defeun^s  d  la  JburchetU. 
Different  sorts  of  fish^  some  of  which   I  bad 
never  seen  before,  and  which  are,  I  believe,  pe* 
euliar  to  Bombay, — ^kabaubs, — the  never-failing 
rice  and  curry,  and  many  strange  and  unknown 
dishes   made   their    appearance;    whilst    pine- 
apples, pomegranates,  shaddocks,  mangoes,  plan- 
tains,  and  custard-apples,  graced    the    board, 
and  seemed  doubly  delicious  to  us,  from  our 
having  been  so  long  debarred  from  vegetables 
and  fruits  of  every  kind.     In  the  mean  tim^ 
the  air  was  fanned  and  kept  fresh  and  cool  by 
a  punkah  over  our  heads.     This  is  an  immense 
framework  of  wood  covered  with  cloth,  which 
is  suspended  from  the  ceiling  in  the  centre  of 
the  apartment,  and  kept  in  perpetual  motion 
by  ropes,  pulled  by  attendants  stationed  on  the 
outside. 

A  mental  treat  likewise  awaited  us,  in  a 
packet  of  letters  from  England.  It  was  nearly 
ten  months  since  we  had  left  our  native  land, 
and  our  movements  had  been  so  uncertain,  that 
we  had  only  once  heard  from  thence,  and  those 
alone  who  have  been  so  long  separated  from 
their  families  and  friends,  can  tell  the  nervous 
agitation,  the  anxious  flutter,  and  the  almost 
painfully  delightful  excitation,  which  are  pro- 
duced by  the  sight  of  their  well-known  hand- 


ENGLISH  LETTEItS.  365 

writing,  in  the  bosom  of  the  wanderer  in  a 
distant  country. 

In  tropical  countries,  amid  groves  of  airy 
palms  and  wavy  bananas,  a  letter  from  Kng- 
land  will  convey  him,  in  idea,  to  the  verdant 
lawns  and  flower-enamelled  meadows  of  his 
native  country,  and  in  his  mind's  eye  will  he 
see  the  well  remembered  woods  and  glades,  and 
in  fancy  will  he  hear  the  melodious  notes  of 
tlie  blackbird  and  the  throstle  resounding 
through  the  beechen  shades ;  the  wood-pigeon 
breathing  her  soft  and  querulous  munnurs,  and 
the  nightingale's  sweetly  varied  note,  harmo- 
niously wafted  by  the  gentle  breeze  from  the 
distant  groves,  awakening  the  sleeping  echoes 
around.  Alas !  a  sad  reality  soon  dissipates 
these  delightful  and  pleasing  delusions ! 

After  duly  reporting  our  arrival  to  the  pro- 
per authorities,  we  again  entered  our  palanquins, 
and  proceeded  to  Chintz  Poglie,  the  residence  of 
Mr.  Buchanan,  one  of  the  principal  gentlemen, 
or,  as  the  natives  would  say,  one  of  the  "  Burra 
Sahibs"  of  the  island,  from  whom  we  had  re- 
ceived a  most  kind  and  friendly  invitation. 
At  Bombay,  this  attention  is  more  than  civil, 
it  is  real  hospitality ;  for  it  is  most  singular 
that  there  are  no  hotels  to  which  a  lady  could 
with   pFopiety   go;    and,  on   first  landing    in 


366  '^^^^  HAMAULS. 

a  foreign  country,  a  stranger  feels  sadly  at  a 
loss.  There  may  possibly  be  taverns  to  whidi 
gentlemen  resort,  but,  in  India,  the  person  that 
has  no  friends  to  receive  him,  is  much  to  be 
pitied. 

The  motion  of  the  palanquin,  is,  to  a  gfiS^ 
as  a  person  is  termed  for    the    first   year  of 
his  residence  in  India,  somewhat  unpleasant, 
and  gives  a  sensation  something*  similar  to  sea 
sickness ;   indeed,  it  was  long  before  I  quite  - 
liked  it,  and  it  was  still  longer  before  I  beoune 
perfectly  reconciled  to  its  use.    There  is,  at  first, 
something  revolting  to  the  feelings,  in  seeing 
your  fellow  creatures  employed  like  slaves,  in- 
dependent of  the  apparent  efieminacy  of  thus 
being    carried    on    men's    shoulders.     •*  They 
wanted  me  to  get  into  one  of  these  things," 
said  one  of  the  party  to  me,  as  he  handed  me 
in ;  "  as  if,"  added  he  with  true  English  inde- 
pendence, "  as  if  I  could  not  walk ! " 

This  impression,  however,  soon  wears  off, 
and  habit  speedily  reconciles  individuals  to 
this,  as  well  as  to  other  customs,  which  were, 
perhaps,  at  first,  the  most  revolting  to  their 
natures. 

TheHamauls,  or  Palkee-bearers,  are  rather 
a  small  race,  but  they  seem  wonderfully  active 
and  strong.  In  carrying  the  palanquin  they 
use  a  sort  of  long  swinging  trot,  moving  the 


ROAD  TO  CHINTZ  HOIiLIE. 


36' 


arm  which  is  at  liberty,  up  and  down  with  a 
see-saw  movement,  occasionally  shifting  the 
pole  from  shoulder  to  shoulder,  and  tliey  get 
on  very  fast,  much  quicker,  indeed,  than  a  man 
ordinarily  walks. 

Chintz  Poglie  is  situated  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  island  of  Bombay  ;  we  found  the  road 
thither  excellent,  and  on  our  way  we  had  a  very 
fine  view  of  the  magnificent  harbour,  studded 
with  islands,  to  which  the  mountains  on  the 
Continent  formed  a  bold,  yet  soft  and  beauti- 
ful back-ground. 

After  leaving  the  esplanade,  or  open  ground 
which  surrounds  the  fort  of  Bombay,  and  pass- 
ing throuf,'h  extensive  suburbs,  which  some 
persons  call  the  Black  Town,  we  came  to  en- 
closed pleasure-grounds,  and  such  a  constant 
succession  of  gentlemen's  houses,  that  it  re- 
minded me  of  tbe  neighbourhood  of  London  ; 
but  though  there  might  be  an  occasional  villa 
built  somewhat  in  the  English  fashion,  the  ge- 
nerality were  mere  bungalows,  or  garden-houses, 
which  generally  consisted  of  a  number  of  de- 
tached, low  thatched  buildings,  the  exterior  of 
wliich  resembled  so  many  out-houses  and  barns. 
Some  few  had  two  stories,  and  heavy  project- 
ing roofs,  like  those  of  the  Swiss,  which  are 
well  calculated  to  keep  off"  the  sun  and  to  carry 
off  the  rain  of  tlie  monsoon ;  but  though  the 


368 


CHINTZ  I'OGLIE. 


oiitsides  in   general   were  very  poor,  the  in^ 
terior  we  found  frequently  fitted  up  with  great  | 
elegance. 

Chintz   Poglie   was  a  most   comfortable  re- 
sidence, with  a  noble  verandah  of  one  hundred 
feet  long  ; — but  by  verandah    you  must  not  i 
figure    to    yourself   the    little    green    painted  I 
wooden    things  which  are  patched  on  to  the  ' 
cottage   onie   of  Cheltenham    and    Tunbridge 
"V^''ells ;  in   India,  they  are  spacious  galleries, 
often  running  aU  round  the  house,  forming  dis-  i 
tinct  apartments,  upon  which  the  others  open,  I 
and  generally  so  constructed    as   to  admit,  at 
pleasure,  every  breath  of  wind  that  blows,  whilst 
Venetian  blinds  give  the  power  of  excluding  the 
intensity  of  the  noon-tide  heat.     The  floors  are  i 
frequently  covered  with  the  Indian  mats,  which    ' 
are  thought  so  much  of  in  England,  but  which 
are  here  used  for  the  commonest  purposes.     In 
the  sleeping  apartments,  the  beds  are  placed  in 
the  middle  of  the  room,  and,  instead  of  curtains, 
musquito  nets    cover  the  whole,  whilst   win- 
dows and  doors  are  to  be  seen  in  every  direc- 
tion you    turn.      The   houses    are  hghted  by 
lamps  suspended  from  the  ceiling,  in  which  are 
placed  tumblers,  or  glasses,  full  of  water,  with 
cocoa-nut  oil  and    a  wick  swimming    on    the 
top,  and,  to  superintend  these,  is  the  office  o 
pai'ticular  set  of  servants,  called  IVIussauls,  ■ 


office  of  a  ^^H 
sauls,  who  ^^H 


TEONS.  3e0 

are  somewhat  of  an  inferior  grade  to  tlie   Ha- 
maiils. 

In  the  verandahs  and  porticoes  of  the  houses 
of  those  who  hold  higli  official  situations,  are 
constantly  to  be  seen,  lounging  at  all  hours  of 
the  day,  peons,  or  messengers,  who,  in  spite  of 
their  seeming  listlessness  and  idleness,  will 
start  up  with  the  greatest  activity  at  their 
master's  voice,  and  set  off  to  any  distance,  to 
execute  the  orders  he  may  give  them.  As 
our  kind  host  held  one  of  the  very  fii-st  places 
in  the  island,  that  of  Superintendant  of  the 
Marine,  his  house  was  always  tluis  beset, 
and  as  the  natives  have  no  idea  of  a  walk 
for  pleasure,  I  am  convinced  they  frequently 
thought  me  little  short  of  insane,  when  they 
saw  me,  prompted  by  curiosity,  or  wishing 
for  a  little  fresh  air,  issue  forth  to  take  a 
stroll  amid  the  plantations  of  bananas,  and 
cocoa-nut  groves,  with  which  t!ie  house  was 
surrounded  ;  but,  hi  spite  of  the  heat  of  these 
tropical  climes,  1  never  could  become  suffici- 
ently Orientalized  entirely  to  give  up  walking, 
which  most  of  our  countrywomen  do  in  India, 
for  there  was  something  verj'  delightful  and 
pleasant  in  seeing  the  tender  inhabitants  of  our 
conservatories  and  hot-houses,  flourishing  in  tlie 
open  air,  or  growing  wild  in  the  fields. 

VOL.  1.  SB 


370  MONSOON. 


LETTER  XXXIX. 

Monsoon.-— Heavy  rains. — Deficiency  of  rain  produces  great 
distress  in  India. — ^Tanks. — Evening  drive. — Great  variety 
of  nations  and  costumes  at  Bombay. — Vellard. — ^Breach 
Candy. — General  rendezvous  of  the  English. 

The  morning  after  our  arrival  at  Bombay, 
the  rain  fell  in  torrents  for  some  hours,  and 
only  those  who  have  been  eye-witnesses  to  a 
monsoon,  can  have  any  idea  of  the  impetuosity 
with  which  it  pours,  in  tropical  countries,  du- 
ring that  period.     It  appears  like  the  bursting 
of  so  many  water-spouts,  or  as  if  the  windows 
of  heaven  were  suddenly  opened ;  and,  in  a  few 
minutes,  the  ground,  which  might  have  been  pre- 
viously perfectly  dry,  becomes  entirely  flooded. 
From  what  I  have  myself  seen,  I  can  believe  any 
wonders  of  sudden  inundations — of  rivers  over- 
flowing their  banks— of  nullalis,  or  dry  water 
courses,   instantaneously  converted   into   rapid 
and  impetuous  streams — but  yet,  that  horror  to 
an  Englishman,  a  rainy  summer,  is  the  greatest 
blessing  to  a  Hindoo ;  and  a  heavier  calamity 
cannot  befall  the  latter,  than  a  deficiency  of 
rain.     His  paddy,  or  rice-fields,  would   be  in 
consequence,   not  properly  flooded,   and,   this 


TANKS.  371 

grain  being  his  principal  article  of  food,  an  in- 
sufficiency of  water  invariably  produces  a  fail- 
ure of  the  crops,  when  a  famine  probably  en- 
sues, with  its  dreadful  accompaniments,  dis- 
ease and  pestilence.  The  Hindoos  depend 
upon  their  rice,  as  the  Irish  on  their  potatoes, 
and  the  consequences  are  equally  dreadful  in 
the  one  country  as  in  the  other,  if,  from  any 
cause,  the  usual  quantity  be  not  produced,  I 
have  heard  public  store-houses  recommended,  to 
lie  filled  in  plentiful  seasons  by  Government,  on 
tlie  Patriarch  Joseph's  plan,  when,  in  scarcities, 
a  siqiply  would  always  be  ready,  and  possibly 
immense  revenues  might  thereby  be  raised,  and 
much  distress  averted.  It  is  perhaps  owing  to 
the  unimproved  stateof  agriculture,  that  a  faUure 
in  the  crops  is  by  no  means  an  uncommon  cir- 
cumstance ;  and,  it  is  said,  that  i>erhaps,  on  an 
average,  a  partial  one  occurs  once  in  every  seven 
to  ten  years. 

During  the  monsoon  also,  the  tanks,  or  arti- 
ficial reservoirs  of  water,  become  filled,  upon 
which  the  natives  principally  depend  for  their 
supply  during  the  dry  seasons.  These  fre- 
quently have  nothing  more  than  the  appear- 
ance of  large  ponds  in  England,  but  occasion- 
ally tliey  are  on  a  very  magnificent  scale;  and 
rich  natives,  who  wish  to  distinguish  them- 
selves by  their  benificcnce,  either  plant  a  tope,  or 
2'n  2 


372  EVENING  DRIVE. 

grove  of  mangoes,  build  a  pagoda,  or  dig  a  tank, 
each  of  which  is  deemed  a  meritorious  action.* 
There  is  one  of  the  last  at  Bombay,  which  is 
very  handsome ;  the  whole  of  the  four  exca- 
vated sides  are  encrusted  with  stone,  and  form 
staircases,  with  terraces  at  intervals,  which  really 
are  very  agreeable  promenades,  and  the  natives 
are  often  to  be  seen  sitting  on  the  steps  in  little 
knots,  conversing  with  each  other  after  the  heat 
of  the  day  is  over. 

In  the  afternoon,  the  rain  subsided,  and  a  lit- 
tle before  sunset,  which  is  the  hour  when  the 
Europeans  take  their  customary  drives,  we 
issued  forth  to  take  ours.  The  carriages  in 
India  are  constructed  so  as  to  admit,  rather 
than  to  exclude  the  air,  and  the  whole  of  the 
back  frequently  rolls  up,  or  is  distended  be^ 
hind  in  a  very  ugly  manner.  These,  and  otha* 
numerous  precautions  to  keep  out  the  heat, 
were  sometimes  so  successful,  that  I  not  un- 
frequently  found  myself  positively  shivering 
with  cold — but  we  were  at  this  time  fresh  from 
Egypt  and  Arabia,  where  the  intensity  of  the 
heat  perhaps  exceeds  that  of  India,  or,  at  least, 
there  are  not  so  many  methods  of  excluding 
it.  In  India,  the  weather,  during  the  monsoon, 
has  frequently  the  chilly  feel  of  a  cold  rainy 

•  A  Guzerattec  proverb  says,  "  Plant  a  tree,  dig  a  well, 
write  a  book,  and  go  to  heaven." 


BREACH  CANDY.  373 

summer  day  in  England,  with  intervals  of  in- 
tense  sultriness ;  and  it  is  positively  a  fact,  that 
for  the  first  two  or  three  days  I  was  in  Bom- 
bay, I  should  have  been  glad  of  a  fire,  and  I 
was  obliged  to  wrap  myself  in  a  large  shawl  to 
keep  myself  warm  ! 

Our  first  drive  was  to  Breach  Candy,  which 
is  so  called  from  the  sea  having  formerly  over- 
flowed a  part  of  the  island  there.  In  its  neigh- 
bourhood, a  vellard  communicates  and  connects 
it  with  Love  Grove,  which  substantial  work 
was  raised  by  Governor  Boddam  ;  but,  though 
it  was  tlie  means  of  prevcTiting  the  sea  from 
making  a  breach  through  the  whole  centre  of 
the  island,  the  expense  attendant  on  it,  was 
highly  disapproved  by  the  autliorities  at  home, 
who,  I  was  told,  either  reprimanded  the  Gover- 
nor severely,  or  removed  liim  from  his  situation 
in  consequence.  In  India,  it  is  too  frequently 
the  case,  that  tlie  merits  and  performances  of 
an  individual  are  not  appreciated  and  acknow- 
ledged at  the  time,  though,  subsequently,  their 
intrinsic  worth  will  extort  involuntary  approba- 
tion and  admiration.  This  work,  which  caused 
so  much  displeasure  at  tiie  period  of  its  con- 
struction, I  was  informed  by  those  well  calcu- 
lated to  judge,  had  eventually  proved  of  the 
greatest  utiUty,  and  still  preserves  the  low 
lands  of  the  island  from  being  inundated  by 


374 


\ARIETY  OF  COSTUMES. 


k 


tlie  spring  tides ;  which,  but  for  this,  and  other 
works  of  a  similar  description,  would  destroy 
all  but  the  hills,  and  reduce  Bombay  to  its  for- 
mer condition,  for,  it  was  once,  only  "  a  small, 
rocky,  barren,  and  pestilential  island." 

It  being  Sunday,  which  is  with  the  natives 
as  much  a  hohday,  perhaps  I  should  rather  say, 
idle  day,  as  with  the  Knglish,  they  were  like- 
wise taking  their  evening  drives  and  prome- 
nades. It  has  been  said,  that  Bombay  is  more 
populous,  and  contains  a  greater  variety  of  in- 
habitants, tiian  is  to  be  found  in  so  small  a 
space  in  any  other  part  of  the  world  ;  and  cer- 
tainly the  scene  which  presented  itself,  and 
which  I  subsequently  found  was  of  no  unfre- 
queiit  occurrence,  was  one  of  the  most  amusing 
and  singular  I  ever  beheld.  The  difference 
of  costumes,  and  equipages,  reminded  me  of 
the  two  or  three  last  days  of  the  Carnival  at 
Florence.  Tlierc  was  the  grave  and  respecta- 
ble looking  Parsee,  who  is  the  descendant  of 
the  ancient  Persians,  looking  as  consequential 
and  as  happy  as  possible,  in  his  clean  white  vest, 
and  ugly,  stiff,  purple  cotton  turban,  with 
shawl  thrown  over  his  shoulders  like  a  lad' 
driving  an  English  buggy  in  the  English  ffl 
shion.  Then  followed  a  hackery,  or  comnn 
cart  of  the  country,  creaking  slowly  along, 
drawn  by  oxen,  and  appearing  as  if  about  to 


I  a 

m 


FEMALE  ORNAMENTS.  375 

tumble  down,  with  a  Hindoo  family ;  the  men 
half  naked,  but  invariably  with  turbans  on 
their  head  ;  — the  women,  clothed  in  the  sarree, 
or  long  piece  of  cloth  or  silk,  which  is  twisted 
round  tlieir  persons  so  as  to  fall  gracefully  in 
folds  to  the  feet,  like  the  drapery  of  an  antique 
statue,  and,  after  forming  a  petticoat,  it  is 
brougiit  over  the  right  shoulder,  across  the 
bosom,  and  falls  over  the  head  like  a  veil. 
This,  with  a  small  bodice  fastening  before  or 
behind,  according  to  fancy,  constitutes  the 
whole  of  their  attire,  and  it  is  infinitely  pret- 
tier, and  far  more  elegant,  than  the  Frank 
female  costume. 

The  sarree  bo  completely  covers  the  whole 
of  the  person,  and  so  eflFectually  conceals  the 
figure  of  the  wearer,  that  it  is  likewise  infinite- 
ly more  modest  and  delicate  than  our  style  of 
dress,  and  it  also  possesses  tlie  advantage  of 
being  more  quickly  put  on  ;  one  minute  will 
suffice  a  Hindoo  belle  to  arrange  Iier  attire,  but 
they  make  up  for  the  simplicity  of  this  part  of 
their  toilet  by  a  profusion  of  ear,  and  nose 
rings,  and  ornaments  of  every  sort  and  descrip- 
tion, which  are  frequently  composed  of  pre- 
cious stones  and  valuable  pearls.  Necklaces 
of  gold  mohurs,  or  Venetian  sequins,  bangles 
of  gold  and  silver  on  their  arms  and  ancles,  and 
costly  rings  on  their  toes,  frequently  decorate 


376  VEHICLES. 

the  persons  of  the  females  of  the  humblest  and 
meanest  classes,  for,  as  there  are  no  such  things 
as  saving  banks  in  India,  they  convert  their 
money  into  these  trinkets,  as  the  most  portable 
method  of  carrying  their  riches   about  with 
them,  though  sometimes,  in  times  of  virar,  this 
has  given  rise  to  most  dreadful  personal  cruelties. 
After  the  Hackery,  would  dash  by  an  Eng- 
lish officer  in  full  regimentals,  or  a  Civilian  in 
the  light  Anglo-Indian  costume,   on    spirited 
Arabs,  followed  perhaps  by  native  grooms  in 
turbans  and  white  cotton  vests.     Then  would 
appear  a  couple  of  Persians,  carefully  guiding  a 
pair  of  horses  in  an  English  curricle,  attired  in 
long  flowing  robes,  and  graceful  and  becoming 
turbans,  with  peculiarly  fine  features,  handsome 
and  intelligent  countenances,  and  dark  beards 
sweeping    their    breasts.     In    heavy    coadies, 
lighter  landaulet,  or  singular  looking  Shigram- 
poes,  might  be  seen,  bevies  of  British  fair,  in 
Leghorn  hats,  silk  bonnets,   blond  caps,  and 
Brussels  lace  veils.     Feathers  waving,  flowers 
blooming,   and  ribands   streaming,  in  all    the 
freaks  and  fancies  of  every  French  and  English 
fashion,  which  may  have  prevailed  in  Europe, 
during  the  last  half  dozen  years.     In  India  the 
veriest  adorateur  des  modes,  must  be  content 
always  to  be  one  year   behind  the   belles    of 
London  and  of  Paris,  and,  in  the  out  stations. 


INriAUITAMS  Of   BOMBAY. 


377 


at  least  two  or  three — but,  however,  there  is  no 
deficiency  of  finery,  whatever  there  may  be  of 
ton,  in  the  appearance  and  attire  of  the  ladies  of 
Bombay.  These  would  be  driven  by  a  coach- 
man, and  attended  by  footmen  in  Parsee,  Ma- 
hometan, or  Hindoo  attire,  whilst  a  Ghora- 
walla,  or  horse  keeper,  would  run  by  the  side 
of  the  carriage  on  foot,  and  keep  up  with  it 
though  driven  at  a  tremendous  rate,  carrying 
a  painted  chowree*  in  his  hand,  with  which 
he  would  keep  tlie  flies  from  annoying  the 
horses.  In  addition  to  these,  might  be  seen 
numerous  Portuguese,  whose  very  dark  com- 
plexions and  short,  curly,  coal-black  hair,  looked 
more  singular  and  more  foreign  in  their  white 
cotton  Frank  costume  than  even  the  Asiatics 
in  their  loosely  flowing  robes.  There  were 
also  Roman  Catholic  priests  in  their  robes, 
respectable-looking  Armenians  with  their  fami- 
lies, numerous  half-castes  in  neat  Englisli 
dresses,  and  a  few  Chinese,  looking  exactly  as 
if  some  of  the  figures  on  a  China  jar  had 
stepped  forth  to  take  an  evening  walk.  These 
were  most  effeminate  in  appearance,  with  a  long 
silky  plaid  of  dark  hair,  twisted  neatly  round 
their  heads;  yet  their  sleepy  countenances,  and 
flat  and  singular  features,  had  an  air  of  stupid 


'  A  switch  of  boise-hair,  faslened  to  a  wooden  haodle. 


;J78  ENGLISH  RENDEZVOUS. 

benevolence,  such  as  may  be  seen  in  the  figures 
of  lihood,  or  Bhudda.     The  wild  looking  Arab, 
and  the  majestic  Turk  in  his  magnificent  and 
superb  attire,  were  of  rare   occurrence.    The  • 
Cutchee  "  Burra  Sahib"  in  a  fine  gilt  palanquin, 
with  a  turban  a  yard  higii,  riclily  adorned  with 
gold,   was  also  to  be  seen,  and  there   was  an 
endless  variety  of  Aliissulmans,  and    Hindoos  ' 
of  different  castes  ;  the  Holy  Bramin,  with  the 
sacred    Zennar    or    cord,    siisj)ended    from    his 
shoulder  ;  the  Purbhoo,    or  writer-caste,  with 
their  very  neat  turbans ;  the  Banyans  in  their 
deep  red,  and  the  Bengalese  with  their  flat  ones;  ; 
the  Mahrattas,  the  Malabarese,  the  Malays,  and  ' 
the  Boras,  who  are  said  to  be  Mahometanized 
Jews,  and  who  are  tlie  pedlars  of  the  country. 
In  short,  every  religion,  every  caste,  and  every 
profession,  of  almost  every  nation,    from    the  I 
shores  of  China  to  the  banks  of  the  Thames.  l 
Even  in  a  fancy  ball  in  London,  or  during  the  | 
Carnival  in  Italy,  where  every  one  strives  to  1 
be   in    a  particular   and    original   costume,    it 
would  be  impossible  to  meet  with    a  greater 
variety,  than  presented  itself  in  tliis  short  drive, 
which    indeed    was   only    what   may    be    seen  i 
every  day  in  the  Island  of  Bombay. 

A   particular   spot  at  Breach  Candy  is  tlie  " 
general  rendezvous  of  the  EngUsh  community, 
where  they  meet  to  settle  the  politics  of  the  - 


I 

of  the  ^^J 


ENGLISH  KENDEZVOL'S. 


island,  and  to  discuss  the  affairs  of  the 
day — 

"  Who  danced  with  whom,  and  who  is  like 
And  who  is  hanged,  and  who  is  brought  to  bed," 

And  here,  whilst  with  monsoon  fury  the  surges 
of  the  Indian  Ocean  hoarsely  lash  tlie  coast,  or 
when,  in  a  more  tranquil  mood,  its  waves 
gently  ripple  round  the  rocks  on  the  shore, 
the  English  will  sit  for  an  hour  at  a  time, 
talking  over  their  neighbours,  and  —  killing 
reputations.  Dr.  Howison  says,  "  that  were 
the  Genius  of  Scandal  at  a  loss  where  to  esta- 
blish her  head  quarters,  he  would  recommend 
that  their  site  should  be  Bombay,  and  that  she 
should  select  her  personal  staff'  from  the  resi- 
dent society  of  that  island,  for  in  no  other  part 
of  the  world  where  he  has  ever  been,  is  the 
propensity  for  gossiping  so  unintermitting." 
However,  I  do  not  know  after  all,  that  the 
hihabitants  of  Bombay  are  more  scandalously 
disposed  than  those  of  any  other  part  of  the 
world,  where  there  is  as  much  leisure,  as  little 
to  think  of,  and  as  much  less  to  do ;  and 
where,  consequently,  the  affairs  of  others  ne- 
cessarily occupy  the  attention,  and  talking 
about  them,  serves  as  an  agreeable  recreation 
pour  {utsser  le  (empg. 


380  GOVERNMENT  HOUSE. 


LETTER  XL. 

Pareil,  the  Government  House. — Menagerie. — Tiger,  and 
Tiger  adventures.  —  Ouran  Outang.  —  Horticiilture  not 
much  attended  to  at  Bombay. — Similar  to  that  of  Ike 
ancient  Egyptians. — Flowers  and  Trees. — Mango  of  Ma« 
zagong. — Cocoanut  tree.— Bamboo. — Banana  or  Plantain. 
— Banyan. — Peepul. 

Pareil,  the  Government-House,  and  where 
the  Governor  principally  resides,  was  once,  it  is 
said,  a  Jesuit's  college,  or  convent,  and  the  ex- 
terior has  been  patched  in  better  taste  than  is 
generally  displayed  when  an  ancient  edifice  is 
metamorphosed  into  a  modem  residence.  The 
drawing-room  and  staircase  are  rather  hand- 
some, but  the  dining-room,  which  is  about 
eighty  feet  long,  and  which  was  once  the  body 
of  an  old  desecrated  church,  is  a  long,  ill- 
proportioned,  and,  by  no  means,  well-fur- 
nished apartment.  The  grounds  were  rather 
pretty,  and  laid  out  something  in  the  ^English 
style,  though  the  palms  and  other  Oriental 
trees  proclaimed  how  far  we  were  from  our 
native  land.  In  the  menagerie  was  a  royal 
tiger,  stretched  at  his  ease  in  his  cage,  but  the 
noble  prisoner  looked  sadly  out  of  his  place^ 
and    seemed    far    better    calculated    to    range 


TIGEH  ADVENTURES.  381 

the  forest,  and  the  pathless  jungle,  than  to  be 
enclosed  by  wooden  bars,  within  a  space  of 
twelve  feet  square.  lie  was  of  larger  dimen- 
sions than  any  I  ever  saw  in  England,  and  1 
could  but  shudder  at  the  possibility  of  meeting 
one  roaming  at  large,  which,  in  the  out  stations, 
is  a  circumstance  of  by  no  means  unusual  oc- 
currence. Tiger  stories  and  tiger  adventures 
constitute  a  leading  feature  in  the  adventures 
of  the  lovers  of  the  marvellous  in  the  East, 
and  ])robably  there  are  few  persons  who  have 
not  had  the  good,  or  bad  fortune,  to  have  had 
a  personal  rencontre  with  one, 

A  gentleman,  we  are  acquainted  with,  had 
once  the  pleasure  of  falling  into  a  dry  nullah 
with  one,  and  whilst  positively  lying  under  the 
paws  of  the  ferocious  animal,  and  of  course 
expecting  every  moment  to  be  torn  to  pieces,  a 
faithful  Sepoy,  with  asteady  aim,firedat  its  heart 
and  killed  it,  without  injuring  or  wounding  his 
master  in  the  least.  Another,  whilst  travelling 
at  night  in  his  palanquin,  was  suddenly  set  down 
by  his  hearers,  who  ran  hastily  away,  screaming 
out,  "  baug,  baug !"  A  tiger,  a  tiger  !  Con- 
ceive the  poor  man's  situation,  not  daring  to  open 
the  doors  to  attempt  to  make  his  escape,  yet  ex- 
pecting every  minute  to  see  the  creature's  tre- 
mendous claws  making  forcihle  entree.  The 
Hamauls,  however,  after  taking  refuge  in  neigh- 


382  TIGERS. 

bouring  trees,  by  shouts  and  loud  cries,  fortu- 
nately frightened  the  animal  away,  or  their  mas- 
ter's life  must  inevitably  have  fallen  a  sacrifiee. 

C himself,  when  on  horseback  at  break  of 

day,  once  saw  one  cross  the  road  immediately 
in   front   of,  and  only  a  few  yards  from  his 
horse.     He  was  warned  of  this  perilous  neigh- 
bour by  his  poor  ghorawalla  falling  back  quite 
aghast,  and   exclaiming  in  accents   of  horror, 
"  baug,  baug  !"    The  horse,  however,  betrayed 
none  of    those   signs    of    terror  which    it  is 
said  instinctively  to  show  when  in  the  vicinity 
of  beasts  of  prey,  and  the  tiger  evincing  no 
wish  to  molest  the  party,  went  its  way,  and 
they  wended  theirs.    It  had  been  watching  some 
flocks  during  the  night,  and  just  then  the  cry 
of  shepherds  was  heard  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  at  the  time  of  this  rencontre,  it  was  sculk- 
ing  off  to  its  lair  in  the  jungle.     It  is  asserted 
that  tigers  will  not  go  out  of  their  wajr  to  attack 
travellers,  unless  molested  by  them,  or  instigat- 
ed by  hunger,  but  the  poor  natives  not  unfre- 
quently  fall  victims  to  them  ;  and  in  travelling, 
a  tree  may  occasionally  be  seen  covered  with 
rags,  or  a  heap  of  stones,  to  which  every  pas- 
senger adds  a  tribute,  and  which  are  the  monu- 
ments marking  the  spot  where  a  human  being 
has  been  destroyed. 

In  this  collection,  among  other  animals  we 


OUllAN-DCTANG. 


383 


also  saw  a  fierce-looking  tiger-cat,  and  a  porcu- 
pine ;  that  inhabitant  of  tlie  desert,  an  ostrich, 
which  was  of  tremendous  size,  and  an  ouran- 
oiitang,  or  wild  man  of  the  woods ;  or  as  the 
natives  term  it,  "jungle  ke  admee ;"  a  most 
disgusting  object,  and  a  complete  caricature 
of  the  sons  of  Adam  ;  but  yet  so  completely 
resembling  one  in  appearance,  that  it  really 
might  be  easily  taken  for  one  of  the  Lords  of 
the  Human  race.  Indeed,  it  is  said,  that  in 
his  expedition  to  India,  Alexander's  army 
meeting  with  a  large  body  of  these  animals, 
mistook  them  for  a  hostile  nation,  and  prepar- 
ed to  give  them  battle.  The  ape  is  held  sacred 
by  the  Hindoos,  and  one  of  their  principal 
poems,  the  Ramayuna,  relates  the  adventures 
of  the  Monkey  Hannaman,  or  Hunooman,  who 
makes  a  very  tolerable  hero,  or  at  least  hero's 
companion,  as  he  comes  to  the  assistance  of  the 
famous  Rama  at  the  head  of  an  army  of  mon- 
keys, builds  a  bridge  from  the  Continent  to 
Ceylon,  and  helps  him  to  regain  his  lost  wife, 
the  fair  Seita,  who  had  been  carried  off  by 
Ravan,  king  of  the  giants,  and  sovereign  of 
that  Island. 

Probably  the  climate  indisposes  Europeans 
from  making  exertions,  but  it  is  surprising  that 
there  is  not  more  attention  paid  to  horticulture, 
and  ornamental  planting  by  the  inhabitants  of 


:Sm4  2KUGATi05. 


BomfaoT.    A  few  cJiliigg  ijnd  Engmh  vicgcte. 
Ues  ceem  to  bound  tbdr  jmbition.     In  geMxni, 
the  excase  is,  that  gsdenin^  on  acpmmt  of 
the  immenfie  qoanthr  of  water  whicli  is  requi- 
site, is  very  expennve.     It  is  difl&mlt,  however, 
to  bdiere  that  irrigation  would  be  mcwe  costly 
than  the  fuel  whidi  is  used  in  our  hot-houses 
and    conservatories    in    England,   and    whidi 
however  does  not  prevoit  individuals  from  in- 
dulging in  exotic  Bowers  and  fruits.     In  India, 
seeds  and  plants  are  generally  raised  by  laying 
them  positively  under  water ;  small  trenches  are 
made  round  the  roots,  or  the  ground  is  laid  out 
in  small  compartments,  which  are  surrounded 
with  mounds  of  earth,  and  it  is  the  chief  oc- 
cupation  of  the  cultivator,  or  the  MoUee,  as 
the  gardener  is  called,  to  fill  these  with  water ; 
he  makes  a  small  opening  to  admit  the  stream, 
and  when  the  ground  of  one  enclosure  is  com- 
pletely filled  and  saturated, he  then  conducts  it  to 
another  and  another,  either  using  a  hoe  for  the 
puri)08e,  or  with  his  foot  forming  the  aperture, 
and  reminding  one  of  Moses'  description  of  a 
similar   custom   in   Egypt,  1451    years  before 
Christ ;  and  which,  such  are  the  unchangeable 
manners  of  Oriental  Countries,  is  still   prac- 
tised there  as  well  as  in  India,  though  more 
tlmn  three  thousand  years  have  elapsed  since 
tlu*  Lawgiver  of  the  Jews  flourished. 


IHJRTICULTURE. 


385 


"  The  Land  of  Egypt  from  whence  ye  came 
out,  where  thou  sowedst  tliy  seed,  and  water- 
edst  it  with  thy  foot,  as  a  garden  of  herbs." — 
Deut.  chap.  xi.  v.  10. 

The  circumstance  of  the  European  inhabit- 
ants not  being  allowed  to  settle  in  India,  must 
of  course  necessarily  very  much  impede  their 
either  building  or  planting ;  for  it  is  a  morti- 
fying thing  to  think  that  their  labours  may  be 
all  thrown  away  upon  a  stranger,  whose  first 
act  may  possibly  be  to  pull  down  the  edifices, 
and  to  root  up  plants  which  have  given  them 
so  much  trouble  to  raise,  and  which  they  have 
viewed  with  parental  fondness.  Among  the 
denunciations  of  Divine  vengeance  upon  the 
Jews  for  disobedience,  it  is  expressly  specified, 
that  "  They  shall  build  a  house,  and  not  dwell 
therein  ;  they  shall  plant  a  vineyard,  and  shall 
not  gather  the  grapes  thereof."  This  is,  how- 
ever, very  frequently  the  case  in  India,  and  it 
would  consequently  be  an  act  of  folly  to  ex- 
pend much  care  or  money  on  possessions  of 
such  uncertain  tenure. 

In  Bombay,  however,  where  the  principal 
civilians  chiefly  reside,  and  also  those  favoured 
few  among  the  military  who  obtain  staff  appoint- 
ments, and  lucrative  situations,  and  who  proba- 
bly intend  to  remaui  several  years  in  India,  it 
is  surprising  that  more  attention  is  not  paid  to 

VOL.   I.  2  c 


HOUTICULTUIIE. 

gardening ;  for  in  ten  or  twenty  years,  which 
is  a  moderate  calculation  of  time  for  a  residence 
in  India,  tliey  would  have  a  chance  of  seeing 
trees  of  their  own  planting  come  to  perfcctJOD. 
At  present,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  indi- 
viduals who  have  better  taste,  a  few  flowering 
shrubs  immediately  in  front  of  the  Bungalow, 
are  all  that  are  to  be  seen  on  the  Island  of 
Bombay  in  general,  and  sometimes  not  even  so 
much. 

Among  those  frequently  cultivated  in  orna- 
mental gardening  in  the  Island  of  Bombay,  is 
the  golden  Mohiir,  which  with  its  light  acacia- 
like leaves,  showy  blossoms,  and  long  and  airy 
anthers,  rising  some  inches  above  the  corolla, 
now  of  deep  crimson,  now  of  orange  hue,  with 
golden  variety,  or  with  light  yellow  flowei 
surjjrises  and  delights  the  beholder  with 
multiplicity  of  its  colours. 

The  beautiful  oleander,  or  almond  -  tree," 
which,  even  in  Italy,  seems  to  be  considered 
as  a  somewhat  delicate  plant,  here  flourishes  as 
a  common  garden  shrub.  The  magnificent  M- 
biseu.s,  with  its  dcep-hued  double  crimson  blos- 
soms, which  show  so  gaily  amongst  its  green 
foliage,  or  with  its  delicately  white  flowers,  at 
once  astonisJies  by  its  grandeur,  and  pleases 
its  beauty.  There  are  also  the  Malabar  creej 
with  its  palmated  leaves,  and  bell-shaped 


1 


1 


HORTICULTURE. 


387 


rolla,  lianging  in  elegant  festoons,  and  tapes- 
trying the  walls  of  buildings  with  its  deHcate 
foliage,— the  Ceylon  creeper,  with  its  beauti- 
ful blossoms  of  brilliant  blue, — and  occasionally 
China  and  other  rose  trees,  which  take  the  ima- 
gination to  the  Islands  of  the  West. 

The  Gloriosa  superba,  and  the  Hoya  camosa, 
the  inhabitants  of  our  hot-houses,  are  here  to  be 
seen  flourishing  in  open  air ;  also  the  Mogrey, 
or  the  Indian  jessamine,  with  its  powerful  and 
almost  overcoming  perfumes,  with  which  the 
Hindoos  love  to  adorn  themselves ;  the  men 
ornamenting  their  turbans,  and  the  women  de- 
corating their  hair  therewith,  or  wearing  chains 
of  them  as  necklaces  round  their  throats. 

There  are  also  the  Indian  fig,  with  its  prickly 
leaves ;  tlie  Palma  Christi,  or  Ricinus  com- 
munis, from  which  the  castor  oil  is  extracted, 
and  whose  seeds  are  given  to  female  buffaloes 
to  increase  their  milk  ;  here  too  is  the  milk 
bush,  a  species  of  Kuphorbia,  of  which  im- 
penetrable and  impervious  fences  are  com- 
posed. 

The  Neem  is  most  peculiarly  light  and 
elegant  in  its  appearance,  somewhat  resem- 
bling a  young  acacia  or  mountain  ash,  whilst 
its  clusters  of  flowers  are  not  dissimilar  to 
those  of  the  lilac,  and  are  delightfully  fra- 
grant ;  as  are  the  yellow  tufts  of  the  Bau- 
2  c  2 


388  THE  MANGO. 

bool  (Acacia  Aiabica),  fiom  irhid  tree  a  gum 
is   obtained,  whidi  is  higlilj    nutritioiis,  and 
which  is  eaten  by  the  poorer  natives  as  food. 
Tulip    trees,  with    their   massjr   ftdiage,   and 
variously-coloured  coroilas,   that  with    purple 
and  golden  magnificence  ddi^ht  the  eye,  aie 
planted  on  each  ade  of  many  of  the  puMic 
roads,  and  will  in  time  form  noble  avenaes. 
The  Mango  (Mangifera  Indica),  is  not  unlike 
an  ilex  in  appearance,  and  its  leaves  are  of  the 
deepest  green.     The  tops  of  this  tiee  form  a 
considerable  feature  in  Indian  landscapes,  and  it 
is  considered  a  charity  to  plant  them ;  an  act  of 
benevolence  which  is  frequently  performed  by 
the  pious  Hindoo.     The  fruit  is  something  be- 
tween a  plum  and  an  apricot,  and  has  not  un- 
frequently,   to  use   Dr.  Borthwick  Gilchrist  s 
grandiloquous    phrase,    **  a    sad    terebenthine 
taste,*'   which    is,    at    first,  very  disagreeaUe. 
Those  who  are  partial  to  them,  on  first  landing, 
sometimes  exceed  in   the  use  of  them,  and 
prickly  heat,  and  other  disorders  ensue  in  conse^ 
quence.     The  mango  of  M azagong,  a  town  or 
village  in  Bombay,  is  famed  throughout  the 
East.     In  the  reign  of  Shah  Jehan,  an  abun- 
dant and  fresh  supply  of  this  fruit  was  ensured 
for  his  use  by  couriers,  who  were  stationed  be- 
tween Delhi  and  the  Mahratta  coast ;  and  it  is 
said,  that  the  parent-tree  of  this  fine  species. 


TA.MAR1ND  AND  COCOANl'T  TUEKS.  3tJ9 

from  which  all  the  others  have  been  grafted,  is, 
during  the  fruit  season,  honoured  by  a  guard 
of  Sepoys.  Moore's  fascinating  Lalla  Kookh, 
has  given  them  equal  celebrity  in  the  AVest. 
Who  could  ever  hear  or  eat  a  mango  of  Miwa- 
gong,  without  thinking  of  the  disappointment 
of  the  learned  Chamberlain  Fadlaleen  when  the 
couriers  failed  in  their  duty,  and  when  the  con- 
stant supply  of  mangoes  for  the  royal  table,  by 
some  cruel  irregularity  was  not  forthcoming: 
for  "  to  eat  any  mangoes  but  those  of  Mazo- 
gong,  was,  of  course,  impossible." 

The  tamarind  is  a  beautiful  tree,  some- 
thing resembling  an  elm,  and  it  has  all  the 
lightness  and  elegance  of  a  youthful  acacia. 
Its  fruit  is  of  a  darker  colour  and  is  drier  than 
the  West  Indian  ;  its  pods  are  twice  as  long, — 
and,  as  seen  hanging  upon  the  tree,  they  are 
not  unlike  those  of  beans  in  appearance.  The 
sea-loving  cocoanut-tree  (Cocos  imcifera,)  forms 
a  striking  feature  in  the  Island  of  Bombay ;  and 
as  there  are  numerous  plantations  of  it,  and 
every  individual  plant  pays  a  tax  to  govern- 
ment, a  considerable  revenue  must  be  thereby 
produced.  To  the  natives  it  is  invaluable,  as  its 
fruit  is  constantly  introduced  in  their  curries 
— coir  cordage  is  manufactured  from  the  fibrous 
covering  of  the  nut,  it  furnishes  oil  for  their 
lamps,  thatch  for  their  huts,  a  cloak  in  rainy 


390  BRAB-TREE. 

weather,  and  the  spirit  so  well  known,  toddy. 
It  is  curious  of  a  morning  to  see  this  last  article 
collected.  Small  steps  are  cut  in  the  tree,  up 
which  the  toddy-gatherer  clambers  quite  to  the 
top  with  the  utmost  ease,  the  liquor  being 
produced  by  an  incision  made  there,  and  it  is 
not  impleasant  in  an  unfermented  state  before 
sunrise.  Rafters,  water-pipes,  fuel,  and  a  sulv 
stitute  for  paper,  are  also  afforded  by  certain 
species  of  palms.  Some  people  do  not  admire 
the  cocoaniit-tree,  and  perhaps  on  the  Malabv 
shores,  as  a  vessel  slowly  coasts  up  and  down, 
it  is  almost  tiring  to  see  so  much  of  it ;  but  the 
tall  and  airy  cocoa,  either  singly  dancing  aloft 
in  the  air,  or  presenting,  en  masse,  a  continuous 
shade,  the  stems  resembling  the  pillars  of  a 
gothic  cathedra],  must  always  be  interesting, 
and  nothing  can  exceed  the  beauty  of  the  more 
youthful  ones,  just  throwing  out  its  branchv 
leaves,  with  a  graceful  and  coquettish  air,  hke 
B  young  belle  in  the  pride  of  her  charms,  claim- 
ing, and  ready  to  receive  the  homage  of  man- 
kind, to  her  light  and  wavy  elegance.  The 
taller  palmyra,  or  brab-tree,  with  its  broad  fan- 
shaped  leaves  standing  on  high,  and  crowning 
the  exalted  summits  of  the  hills,  seems  proudly 
to  aspire  to  reach  to  heaven ;  but  the  date 
tree  here  is  apparently  of  an  inferior  species, 
seldom  bears  fruit,  and  has  not  the  lofty  clia- 


BAM ROO.— INDIAN  FIG-TltEE.  391 

racter  it  assumes  in  Egypt  and  Ai^bia.  The 
areca  palm,  or  betelnut-tree,  (aieca  catechu)" 
wJiich  is  cultivated  in  many  parts  of  India,  but 
wiiicli  flourishes  particularly  in  the  Tiperah  dis- 
trict in  IJengal,  on  the  banks  of  the  Megna,  and 
grows  spontaneously  on  the  hills  in  tJie  Con- 
can  and  North  Canara,  furnishes  tlie  nut,  which, 
mixed  with  betel  leaf  {piper  betel,)  and  quick 
lime  (or  chunam,)  forms  the  composition  which 
the  Hindoos  are  constantly  masticating.  The 
bamboos,  (Bambiisa  arundinecea,)  which  are,  in 
reality,  nothing  but  reeds,  in  the  space  of  a  few 
months  grow  to  an  enormous  lieight,  and  have 
somewhat  the  appearance  of  osiers.  The  fa- 
mous walking-sticks  are  formed  of  the  first  and 
smaller  shoots,  and  tlie  larger  are  employed  in 
the  construction  of  buildings,  and  in  furniture. 
The  plantain,  or  banana,  with  its  broad  and 
gracefully  hanging  leaf,  two  or  three  yards 
long,  when  first  opened,  is  of  the  most  delight- 
fully fresh  and  vivid  green  imaginable.  The 
youthful  foliage  is  wrapt  up  so  carefully,  that 
as  it  gradually  unfolds,  it  presents  a  pleasing 
spectacle  of  the  care  Nature  takes  of  her  pro- 
ductions. But  the  glory  of  India  is  the 
Sacred    Banyan,    the    Indian    fig-tree,    Ficus 

•  The  exUact  called  Cull  by  the  nativea,  Cufeh  by  the 
English,  is  obtained  Trom  the  inner  wood  of  the  Acacin 
Caiechu. 


indica,  or'the    Ficus   Religiosa    of   Liinuras. 

This  giant  of  the  forest,  or  rather  forest  iii 
itself,  charitably  extends  its  branches  in  every 
direction,  and  throwing  out  new  shoots,  which 
fall  to  the  ground  and  there  take  root, 
without  separating  from  the  parent  tree,  it 
forms  a  continuous  and  a  delightful  shade, 
and  provides  a  home  and  a  shelter  for  the 
houseless  native.  It  is  said  to  derive  its  name 
of  Uanyan  from  the  adoration  which  that  caste 
pays  to  it,  who  paint  it  daUy,  make  offerings  of 
rice,  and  pray  to  it.  Pennant  says,  it  is  called 
the  paged  tree,  and  tree  of  councils,  because 
idols  are  placed  under  its  shade,  and  councils 
held  beneath  its  branches.  In  some  places  it 
is  believed  to  be  the  haunt  of  spectres,  as  the 
ancient  oaks  of  Wales  have  been  of  fairies. 
Pillars  of  stone,  and  posts  elegantly  car\'ed, 
and  ornamented  with  the  most  beautiful  por- 
celain to  supply  the  use  of  mirrors,  are 
casionally  placed  under  its  shade. 

Universal  veneration  is  also  paid  all  c 
India  to  the  Peepul-tree,  or  wild  fig-tree, 
(Ficus  Religiosus,)  which,  though  it  has  no 
connection  with  the  Banyan,  is  called  and  con- 
sidered by  the  natives  as  its  wife.  A  late 
traveller  mentions,  that  his  suite,  who  were  in 
want  of  fire-wood,  were  not  allowed  to  touch 
its  sacred  branches,  and  a  considerable  dispute 


VEGETABLE  PROUUCTIONS.  393 

arose  between  tliem  and  the  natives  in  conse- 
quence. Spirits  are  supposed  to  delight  in  the 
Peepul,  and  he  was  informed  that  an  earthen 
pot  hanging  on  the  tree,  was  brought  thither 
by  some  person  ivhose  father  was  dead,  that 
the  ghost  might  drink  !  But  I  must  have  tired 
you  with  this  enumeration,  and  I  will  therefore 
defer  any  farther  account  of  Hindoostanee  pro- 
ductions till  another  letter.     Adieu  ! 


LETTER  XLI. 

Vegetable  productJQns  of  Bombay. — Fruits. — Rice  Field*. — 
Animals.  —  The  Hoise.— BuflUlo.  —  Sc^ulrrel. —  Baya  or 
Grosbeak. — Kire-flres  and  other  Insects, 

Bombay  is  famed  all  over  the  East  for  its 
onions,  which  are  coitainly  of  a  very  superior 
species  to  our  western  ones.  They  are  of  im- 
mense size,  and  so  mild  as  to  be  by  no  means 
unpleasant  in  taste,  and  they  have  not  that  very 
disagreeable  and  almost  unbearable  smell  that  the 
EngUsh  onions  have.  The  sweet  potato  is  much 
used,  and  the  common  potato,  though  of  late  in- 
troduction, is  gaining  ground  in  India,  and  it  is 
said,  that  the  prejudice  once  entertained  against 
it  by  the  natives  is  quickly  passing  away.  The 
yam  (Dioscorea),  and  the  brinjal,  or  egg-plant. 


{Solanum  Melongena,)  together  with  the  bands, 
or  bendy,  (Hibiscus  esculenttis)  frequently  make 
their  appearance  at  table.  Tliis  last  is  a  very 
excellent  iind  delicate  vegetable  ;  it  is  a  pod,  ar 
rather  capsule,  three  or  four  inches  in  length, 
and  the  seeds  within  are  quite  equal  to  our 
young  peas,  whicli  tliey  somewhat  resemble. 
Cardamoms  (Amomum  repens)  and  Chili  pep- 
per (Graicum  Capsacura)  are  put  down  as  things 
of  course,  to  eat  at  pleasure,  with  that  never- 
failing  dish  the  curry. 

"  Plantains,  the  golden  and  the  green,"  are 
amongst  the  fruits  in  most  common  use  among 
the  natives.  I  have  described  the  tree  in  mv 
last  letter ;  the  flower,  of  the  class  Pentandria,  is 
comparatively  small ;  the  fruit  is  from  three  to 
six  inches  long,  and  when  the  exterior  skin  is 
stripped  off,  the  interior  presents  a  yellowish 
white  substance,  very  nutritive  and  wholesome, 
something  between  an  apricot  and  a  pear  in 
taste,  but  perhaps  superior  to  either ;  eaten 
with  or  without  milk,  it  forms  an  excellent 
breakfast  for  tliose  who  cannot  take  heavier  food 
in  this  hot  country.  The  custard-apple,  in  the 
opinion  of  many,  should  rank  next  in  delicacy. 
Is  is  a  curious-looking  fruit,  with  a  green  and 
rough-coated  exterior;  but  the  interior  contains 
a  number  of  dark  seeds,  imbedded  in  a  crearo- 
hke  substance,  very  much  resembling  custard  in 


ACRICULTUllAL  PRODUCE. 


395 


taste.  The  pompelniose,  or  shaddock,  (Mains 
aurantia,)  the  sweet-lime,  and  the  pomegranate, 
are  very  grateful  and  refreshing  in  so  sultry  a 
climate.  The  oranges,  principally  of  the  species 
which  is  sometimes  termed  mandarine,  are  of 
an  inferior  sort,  and  the  grapes  are  not  par- 
ticularly good,  tliough  up  the  country  they  are 
remarkably  fine.  There  are  also  water-melons 
(Angurca  Citrullus),  guavas  (Psidiiim),  some- 
thing like  pears  in  appearance,  and  the  papaw. 
The  Jaca,  or  Jack-tree  ( Artocarpus  integrifolia), 
is  of  considerable  size,  and  the  fruit  is  of  enor- 
mous dimensions.  Of  its  wood,  very  pretty  fur- 
niture is  made,  in  colour  resembling  satin-wood 
when  quite  new,  and  afterwards  assuming  the 
appearance  of  light  mahogany. 

The  paddy,  or  rice  fields,  make  a  considera- 
ble figure  at  Bombay,  and  are  of  a  most  beau- 
tiful vivid  green,  but  it  is  not  considered  to  be 
wholesome  to  live  in  their  vicinity.  From  the 
common  hemp,  the  intoxicating  liquor  called 
bavg  is  produced,  and  the  Juarree  (Holcus 
Sorghum)  and  Bajaree  (Holcus  spicatus)  are 
used  in  various  ways.  But,  I  am  ashamed  to  say, 
I  know  but  little  of  the  Indian  agriculture, 
and  I  will  therefore  not  attempt  to  give  you 
infonnation,  wliich  might  prove  erroneous. 

The  horses  at  Bombay  are,  generally  speak- 
ing, Arabs,  and  they  are  peculiarly  light,  active, 


S'JG 


THE  HUFFALO— SQIIIUIKLS. 


and  elegant,  but  so  small,  that  the  cart-horses 
ill    Kngland    would   appear   Hke    elephants    iii 
comparison.     The  Braminee  bull  is  oecasionallj 
seen  with  the  hunch  between  the   shouldi 
perfectly  tame,  stalking  about  in   the  baz: 
and  the  native  carts  or  hackerys  are  invariably 
drawn  by  oxen,  of  a  somewhat  diminutive  size.* 
Frequently  are  to  be  met  herds  of  that  stupii 
awkward,    and    uncouth    animal    the    BuiFa 
lounging  leisurely  along,  with  its  horns  somi 
times  tightly  curled  up,  in  the  smallest  pt 
ble  compass,  like  the  tendrils  of  a  vine,  or  e: 
tended  to  an  immense  and  almost  inconvenii 
distance,  so  tliat  the  tips  are  nearly  two  y 
apart.    Tlie  milk   is   used,   and  the  flesh 
casionally  eaten,  but  there  appears  to  be  a  pi 
judice  against  the  latter,  which  is  seldom 
at  the  Presidency. 

Tlie  squirrels  are  beautifully  marked  wil 
dark  stripes,  and  are  the  prettiest  little  animals 
imaginable.  They  are  exceedingly  timid,  but 
yet  can  be  tamed  to  a  certain  degree ;  they 
used  frequently  to  come  into  the  room  wlien 
we  were  at  our  meals,  and  eat  up  the  crumbs  on 
the  floor;  but  the  slightest  noise  or  movement 
would  send  them  scampering  off  instantaneous- 

*  Tlie  oxen  of  Guzerat,  which  are  occasionally  brougfal 
o  Bombay  by  wealthy  natives,  are  of  a  ditferent  bi 
and  are  very  ltirg;e  and  Gne. 


nallj^H 
;aar«^H 


MUSK  RAT.— BAYA.  397 

]y  to  their  homes.  We  used  often  to  amuse 
ourselves  by  throwing  nuts  and  cakes  to  them, 
and,  wlien  at  a  respectful  distance,  they  had  no 
objection  to  accept  of,  and  to  avail  themselves 
of  our  proffered  civilities.  Pennant  observes 
that  "  the  brute  creation  in  the  Torrid  Zone, 
are  more  at  enmity  with  one  another  than  in 
other  climes,"  and  his  remark  appears  to  be 
correct,  for  these  shy,  timid,  little  things  were 
the  most  quarrelsome  creatures  imaginable,  and 
would  frequently  pursue  one  another  most 
furiously,  in  order  to  take  by  force  tlie  other's 
provisions,  even  wlien  they  had  plenty  of  their 
own ;  the  strongest  generally  proved  a  sad 
tyrant.  The  mus  Malabarecus  or  Bandecoot 
rat  is  of  immense  size,  and  is  very  destructive, 
as  is  the  musk-rat,  which  though  smaller,  leaves 
a  disagreeable  smell  wherever  it  goes;  and  if 
perchance  it  pass  over  a  bottle  of  wine  with 
its  cork  unsealed,  it  acquires  so  unpleasant  a 
flavour  as  to  be  undrhikable.  The  mongoose 
or  ichneumon,  (Viverra  Ichneumon)  which  de- 
stroys  the  CTocodile's  eggs  in  Egypt,  does  the 
same  to  the  alligator's  in  India;  it  resembles 
an  immense  lizard,  and  it  is  sometimes  kept  in 
private  families  for  amusement. 

I  was  particularly  pleased  with  the  Hin- 
doostanee  baya,  a  sort  of  grosbeak  or  sparrow, 
(Loxia    Phillippina;)    of  the    passerine   order, 


398  NEST  OF  TlIE  BAYA. 

and  of  the  hang-nest  tribe.  The  Malabarese 
call  it  Olomari,  the  Bengalese,  Babiu,  and  its 
Sanscrit  name  is  Berbere.  This  bird  is  of  a 
small  size,  with  yellowish  brown  plumage,  yel- 
lowish head  and  feet,  light-coloured  breast  and 
thick  conical  bill.  It  feeds  on  insects,  is  wonder- 
fully sagacious  and  docile,  and  is  easily  taught 
to  fetch  and  carry.  The  youthful  lovers  train 
the  bird,  and  teach  it  by  signs  that  it  under- 
stands to  pluck  off  thin  plates  of  gold,  called 
ticas,  which  the  young  Hindoo  women  wear 
slightly  fixed  between  their  eyes  ;  and  as  they 
pass  through  the  streets,  the  roguish  baya  steals 
them,  and  brings  them  in  triumph  to  his  master. 
If  a  ring  he  dropped  into  a  deep  well,  and  a 
signal  given,  the  baya  will  fly  down  with  great 
celerity,  and  catching  it  before  it  reaches  the 
water,  bring  it  exultingly  up  to  the  owner; 
and  it  is  asserted,  that  if  a  house  be  shown  it 
once  or  twice,  it  will,  on  proper  signs  being 
made,  carry  a  note  thither  immediately.  From 
this  dociUty,  it  is,  of  course,  a  great  favourite  in 
Hindoostan.  It  suspends  its  curiously  flask- 
shaped  nests  to  the  branches  of  cocoanut-trees, 
palmyras,  and  Indian  figs,  generally  prefering 
one  that  overhangs  a  well  or  rivulet,  perhaps 
on  account  of  the  superior  security  which  is 
thereby  ensured.     It  is   constructed  of  grass 


k. 


and  the  fibres  of  plants,  and  subdivided  into 
three  chambers  or  divisions.  In  tiie  outermost 
or  porch,  tlie  male  bird,  very  properly,  takes  his 
station,  and  mounts  guard ;  in  the  centre,  the 
female  hatches  her  eggs,  which  resemble  pearls; 
and  the  inmost  compartment  is  appropriated  to 
the  young.  This  ingenious  domicile  is  attached 
to  the  extremity  of  a  slender  branch,  by  means 
of  a  cord  half  a  yard  long,  with  the  entrance 
downwards,  in  order  to  secure  its  inhabitants 
from  snakes  and  beasts  of  prey  ;  and  though  it  of 
course  rocks  with  every  breath  of  wind,  it  very 
seldom  sustains  any  injury,  indeed,  I  only  re- 
member having  seen  one  blown  down,  though 
the  trees  close  to  our  house  were  covered  with 
these  nests.  A  little  tough  clay,  or  cow's  dvmg, 
is  always  stuck  against  one  side  of  the  porch,  on 
which  are  fixed  fire  flies,  which,  it  is  said,  arc 
caught,  and  thus  imprisoned  by  the  ingenious 
baya,  in  order  to  give  light  to  his  dwelling. 
But  those  who  have  no  respect  for  traditions 
and  popular  belief,  whilst  they  cannot  deny 
that  the  fire  flies  are  found  thus  confined, 
which  is  an  indubitable  fact,  yet  choose  to  ex- 
plain away  this  elegant  device  of  the  baya  for 
illuminating  his  airy  mansion,  by  supposing 
they  are  merely  caught  by  him  and  placed 
there  for  food.    Possibly  the  brilliancy  of  the 


398  KEST  OF  TUF 

and  Of  the  hang-oec    iike  the  dazzUng  quali- 
caU  it  Olomaii  th      ^~  frequently,  only  sen  e 
Sanscrit  name  '    ^^  ^^  destruction. 
smaU  aiae^  wi*  ,M^^  ^  evening  to  see  the  fire 
]iy^^j^  \^g^  ^iXDong  the  spreading  branches  of 
thick  cor'   >  *'  sporting  about  the  light  and  airy 
fully  F    ,  ^  tftf«»  which  are  sometimes  so  covered 
to  fr    y^^  ^  ^  appear  like  pyramids  of  light 
tlK     '^the  stars  are  shining  in  their  majesty  in 
p       ^tlac  ethereal  sky,  and  the  planets  moving 
^f^dc  dance  in  the  firmament  above,  quick 

Mating  in  every  direction  below,  may  be  seen 

^ftiads  of  these  luminous  insects,  as  if  seeking 

10  imitate  the  movements  of  the  heavenly  orbs, 

or  as  if  the  denizens  of  Heaven  themselves  had 

left  their  golden   houses  to  visit  this  nether 

sphere. 

The  musquitos  are  dreadful  torments  to  the 
new  arrivals  from  Europe,  and  without  a  net, 
sleep  would  be  sought  in  vain.  The  flies  are 
also  sad  nuisances,  and  hand  punkahs  during 
meals  are  frequently  indispensably  necessary  to 
drive  away  the  swarms  that  incessantly  attack 
the  food.  Cockroaches  are  a  great  annoyance 
to  the  merchants  of  Bombay,  as  they  often  in- 
fest their  godowns  or  warehouses,  and  commit 
great  devastations  among  their  goods,  destroy- 
ing leather  articles,  books,  &c.  most  mercilessly. 
In  damp  places,  centipedes  and  scorpions  are 


"IIITK  ANTS.  401 

not  uijfrequently  found,  but  tliey  are  not  of 
very  frequent  occurrence  elsewhere.  I  only 
once  remember  to  have  actually  seen  one  of 
the  latter  alive,  which  was  crawling  delibe- 
rately up  C 's  dress.     I  at  first  thought  it 

was  a  large  spider,  and  I  was  indeed  some- 
what startled  and  alarmed,  when  on  calling  his 
attention  to  it,  I  found  the  venomous  nature 
of  the  creature. 

The  great  scourge  of  India,  however,  are  the 
white  ants,  of  which  I  have  a  dreadful  story  to 
tell  liereafter,  being,  from  sad  experience,  well 
calculated  to  bear  testimony  to  this  insect's 
powers  of  destruction,  which  certainly  exceed  all 
credibility,  and  try  the  patience  of  the  sufferers 
from  their  devastations  very  severely ;  but  the 
Indian  proverb  says,  "  Every  European  coming 
to  India,  learns  patience  if  he  has  it  not,  and 
loses  it,  if  he  has,"  and  mine  was  very  severely 
put  to  the  test,  as  I  am  sure  you  will  allow, 
when  you  hear  of  my  losses  from  these  terrible 
little  plagues. 


402  WHITE  ANTS. 


LETTER  XLII. 

Devastation  caused  by  Termites  or  White  Ants.— Their  ex- 
traordinary Nests,  and  powers  of  destruction — Black 
Ants. — Immense   size   of  their   Nests. — Fish,    Bumbelo, 

Pomfret,   and   Prawns.  —  Bazaar Jungle    Fowl. — Our 

Poultry  of  Indian  origin. — Turkey  and  Ham,  never- failing 
dishes  at  Bombay. — Rage  for  European  Articles. — Native 
China  never  used  by  the  English. 

After  we  had  left  Chintz  Poglie,  and  were 
established  in  our  own  house,  our  first  care  was 
to  send  for  our  things  from  the  Custom  House. 
We  had  sent  our  carriage  and  the  greater  part 
of  our  heavy  articles  by  sea,  and  they  had  ar- 
rived at  Bombay  a  short  time  previous  to  our» 
selves.  What  was  my  consternation  on  being 
informed  that  the  greater  part  of  them  were 
utterly  destroyed  by  white  ants!  At  first  I 
thought  it  was  a  joke,  but  too  soon  was  I  con- 
vinced of  the  dire  reality  of  the  fact.  In  the 
Custom  House,  many  of  the  packages  had  been 
somewhat  carelessly  placed  upon  the  ground  in 
the  godowns,  the  Indian  term  for  warehouse,  and 
the  ants  coming  up  from  below,  had,  for  some 
weeks,  been  very  leisurely  carrying  on  their  de- 
vastations, without  "  let  or  molestation,"  Seve- 
ral trunks  which  had  left   England,  properly 


SKU.l,  OV  THE  WHITE  ANT. 


403 


packed,  and  full  of  valuable  books,  maps,  and 
dresses,  now  ])i-esented  a  melancholy  specta- 
cle of  shreds  and  rags,  or  a  mass  of  dirt ; 
for,  by  mastication,  the  white  ant  converts 
every  thing  into  a  sort  of  clay,  which  it  era- 
ploys  hi  the  construction  of  its  own  habitation. 
The  East  India  Company  would  perhaps  be 
alarmed,  were  they  to  hear  that  the  white  ants 
had  devoured  and  eaten  up  India,  which  they 
actually  had  done: 

"  A  river  and  b  sea, 

Were  to  them  a  dish  of  tea, 
And  a  kingdom,  bread  and  butter." 

but  it  was  not,  however,  the  Company's,  but  our 
property,  which  had  thus  suffered,  in  the  shape  of 
a  fine  map  of  the  country.  A  curious  circum- 
stance occurred,  which,  in  monkish  days  would 
have  served  for  a  miracle,  and  certainly  may 
compete  with  the  wonderful  Mahometan  one 
of  a  similar  description.  Among  sevenil  books 
that  were  destroyed,  was  a  Stereotype  pocket 
Testament,  iind,  it  is  a  fact,  that,  though  the 
cover  and  the  whole  of  the  margin  were  nibbled 
and  injured,  not  one  word  of  the  sacred  text 
bad  been  touclied.  Tins  was  probably  owing 
to  soraetliing  peculiar  in  the  composition  of  the 
ink,  but  it  certainly  was  singular. 

The  white  ants  are,  perhaps,  the  most  inge- 
nious and   surprising  artificers  in   the  world. 
2  I)  2 


404  SKILL  OF  THE  WHITE  ANT. 

They  invariably  carry  on  their  manoeuvres  un- 
der cover;  and  their  first  care  seems  to  be,  to 
conceal  their  proceedings  from  the  garish  eye 
of  day.  Covered  communications  and  passa- 
ges, which  are,  comparatively  speaking,  quite 
eqtial  to  the  fortifications  at  Malta,  and  iinin- 
terrupted  and  continuous  lines  of  works  may 
be  often  traced,  extending  to  immense  distances. 
They  are  regular  underminers,  and  carry  on 
their  labours  so  cleverly  and  secretly,  that  the 
sufferer  from  their  devastations  has  no  idea  of 
what  is  going  on,  till  he  is  taught  by  experi- 
ence to  be  always  on  the  qui  rive  against  their 
insidious  attacks.  One  evening  when  we  were 
engaged  in  conversation,  a  strange  cracking  sort 
of  noise  was  heard  in  the  room,  for  which,  for 
some  time  we  could  not  account,  till  at  length, 
one  of  tlie  party,  whose  curiosity  was  greatly 
excited,  by  dint  of  searching,  discovered  it  pro- 
ceeded from  behind  one  of  the  doors,  and  there 
were  the  white  ants  busUy  at  work,  carrying 
their  labours  on  all  round  the  wood-work  of 
the  door-way.  The  sound  arose  from  some  of 
their  fortifications  having  given  way,  on  hav- 
ing been  accidentally  touched.  They  appear 
to  be  endued  with  so  much  sagacity  and  in- 
telligence, that  it  is  quite  astonishing;  and  it 
is  really  very  amusing  to  see  them  at  work. 
If  any  of  their  covered  communications    are 


AJVTS  NEST.  405 

injured  or  destroyed,  the  first  white  ant  tliat 
comes  that  way,  stops,  considers  for  half  a 
second,  then  immediately  goes  back,  and  in 
two  or  three  minutes  returns  with  a  detach- 
ment of  workmen,  who  fall  to  work  and  speed- 
ily repair  the  breaches  that  have  been  made. 
They  seem  to  have  a  power  of  mastication,  and 
they  produce  a  sort  of  moist  clay  from  their 
months,  which,  after  a  short  exposure  to  the 
air,  becomes  dry  and  hard,  and  the  spectator 
sees  nothing  but  a  slight  thread  of  earth,  which 
the  novice  would  consider  to  be  quite  acciden- 
tal, and  of  no  consequence.  Satisfied  with 
having  a  shelter  from  curious  eyes,  they  seldom 
attack  the  exterior  of  any  thing,  but  cunningly 
work  upon  tlie  interior;  and  timbers  of  houses, 
furniture,  and  books  which  are  not  frequently 
moved,  may  be  completely  destroyed,  whilst 
their  outside  looks  as  well  as  ever.  This  was 
the  case  with  our  trunks,  which  appeared  un- 
injured, whilst  their  contents  were  completely 
ruined. 
I  Though  called  an  ant,  these  termites  have 
I  very  little  the  appearance  of  one ;  they  rather 
look  like  small  maggots  or  grains  of  rice,  and 
they  have  a  queen,  or  female  ant,  like  the  bees, 
-unless  this  is  destroyed,  it  is  hopeless  ever  to 
t  attempt  to  get  rid  of  them  ;  but  when  this  is  se- 
.  cured,  they  vanish  of  themselves;  therefore  in 


406  BLACK  ANTS. 

digging  up  their  nests,  the  first  object  should  be 
to  obtain  possession  of  Her  Majesty.  A  nest, 
the  progress  of  which  we  had  .amused  ourselves 
with  watching  for  some  days,  was  one  evening 
covered  with  winged  insects,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing morning,  a  light,  burning  in  the  room,  was 
completely  covered  with  them ;  on  this  being 
moved  they  swarmed  in  every  direction.  After 
settling  in  every  part  of  the  house,  their  wings, 
which  were  about  an  inch  long,  and  very  much 
resembled  ash  keys  in  colour  and  appearance, 
and  like  gauze  in  substance,  fell  off,  and  were 
strewed  all  over  the  floor.  You  may  believe 
that  I  was  considerably  alarmed  for  the  safety 
of  our  dwelling,  which  I  expected  would  be 
undermined  and  destroyed  instantaneously,  but 
immediate  precautions  were  taken  to  prevent 
this  impending  danger,  and  we  took  care  never 
to  indulge  iii  such  benevolent  Banyan-like  feel- 
ings again,  as  to  allow  the  white  ants  undis- 
turbedly to  work  under  our  roof. 

As  these  insects  will  literally  destroy  a  trunk 
and  its  contents  in  one  night,  boxes  should 
never  be  placed  upon  the  floor,  nor  even  on 
blocks  of  wood;  stones  and  glass  bottles  are 
the  best  things  to  put  under  them,  but  even 
then  they  require  occasional  inspection,  as  these 
indefatigable  creatures  will  surmount  even  these 


FISH. 


407 


obstacles,  and  carry  a  communication  over  them 
to  the  articles  above. 

Wherever  the  black-ant  abounds,  it  is  said 
that  the  white  sort  disappears;  for,  with  in- 
sects as  with  men,  the  strongest  invariably 
wins  the  day,  and  the  little  destructive  ter- 
mites are  in  their  turn  destroyed  by  their  black 
bretliren.  Wonderful  stories  are  narrated  of 
the  latter,  and  really  the  size  of  their  nests  ex- 
ceeds all  credibility.     Near  Poorbunder,  iij  Gu- 

zerat,  C has  seen  in  waste  lands,   which 

had  been  for  years  out  of  cidtivation,  nests  of 
seven  feet  and  a  half  high,  which  he  ascertained 
by  actually  measuring  them  himself;  as  many 
in  diameter,  and  probably  more  than  twenty 
feet  in  circumference.*     The  black-ant  appears 

"  Bishop  Heber,  in  his  Journal,  mentions  having  seen 
similarly  enormous  ant-hills,  and  observes,  that  "  the  pyra- 
mids, when  the  comparative  bullc  of  the  iiisccta  which  reared 
Ikein  is  laktn  into  the  estimate,  are  as  nothing  to  the  works 
of  these  termites.  The  counterpart  of  one  of  these  hills 
would  be,  if  a  nation  should  Mt  to  work  to  build  up  an 
ulilicial  Snowdon,  and  bore  it  full  of  holes  and  galleries." 
I,  that  the  account  alluded  to  byLucian,  as  giveu 
Ibj  Ctesius,  of"  monstrous  unts  in  India  as  lai^e  as  foxes." 
I^teiginated  in  the  stupendous  fabrics  which  they  rear,  and 
icli  probably  were  supposed  to  have  been  the  workman- 
hip  of  a  larger  animal  than  the  actual  diminutive  architect- 
a  ridiculous  story  told  in  the  East,  of  a  box  of 
lollars  having  vanished,  and  its  disappearance  being  grave- 
y  attributed  to  its  having  been  eaten  up  by  the  ants;  upon 


408  BA^^AAK. 

to  be  of  a  larger  and  stronger  species  than  our 
common  ant,  and  was  quite  different  from  our 
little  tormenters  in  the  George  Cruttenden, 
who  used  to  bite  so  dreadfully.  They  occa- 
sionaUy  infest  the  godowns  where  sugar  and 
sweet  things  are  kept,  as  in  England,  but  we 
never  found  them  otherwise  injurious,  and 
they  are  far  pleasanter  inmates  in  a  house  than 
their  treacherous,  deceitful,  and  undermining 
brethren. 

Bombay  is  well  supplied  with  fish,  and  the 
Bumbelo  is  found  in  no  other  part  of  the  world, 
than  in  its  harbour.  This  is  a  sort  of  sand  eel, 
which  is  eaten  both  in  a  fresh  and  dried  state, 
and  usually  appears  at  breakfast,  with  a  dish 
of  rice, .  butter,  and  split  pease,  which,  from 
being  coloured  with  turmeric,  is  perfectly  yel- 
low, and  is  termed  kedgaree.  The  Pomfret  is 
remarkably  delicate  and  fine  upon  this  coast ; 
and  it  was  to  eat  the  Pomfret  of  Bombay  that 
the  epicure  Quin  seriously  projected  a  voyage 
to  India.  The  prawns  are  remarkably  fine,  and 
are  of  a  most  magnificent  size ;  they  are  called 
gingle  by  the  natives,  and  are  excellent,  whe- 
ther served  up  fresh,  or  eaten  as  a  curry. 

which,  several  files  were  sent  from  England  to  file  their 
teeth  ;  but,  though  the  ants  had  not  exactly  devoured,  they 
had  buried  the  money,  which  was  subsequently  found  in 
their  nest. 


The  market,  or,  as  tliey  would  say,  the 
Bazaar  of  Bombay,  is  very  well  supplied  with 
provisions.  Vegetables  are  brought  from  Sal- 
sette,  now  coimected  with  Bombay  by  a 
causeway,  which  was  begun  in  1797  and  was 
completed  by  the  Governor,  Mr.  Duncan,  in 
1805 ;  this,  though  a  great  convenience  to 
the  inhabitants,  is  considered  by  some  persons 
to  have  injured  the  harbour.  Butcher's-meat 
is  not  remarkably  good ;  the  mutton,  unless 
well  fed,  is  apt  to  be  rather  tough,  but  the  kid 
is  excellent.  The  being  necessarily  eaten  the 
same  day  that  it  is  killed,  is  probably  one  rea- 
son Avhy  the  meat  in  India  is  not  eqtial  to  our 
English;  this  is,  however,  of  no  great  conse- 
quence, for,  in  so  hot  a  country,  to  eat  animal 
food  at  all  is  almost  out  of  the  question. 

Poultry  is  abundant  at  Bombay,  and,  when 
well  fed,  which  is  equally  necessary  every 
where,  the  chickens  are  very  fine.  It  is  curi- 
ous, that  a  bird  which  is  now  so  common  in 
England,  where  it  has  become  almost  natu- 
ralized, should  have  derived  its  origin  from  the 
distant  country  of  India.  Our  common  fowl  is 
a  native  of  Hindoostan,  and  is  found  in  a  state 
of  nature  and  quite  wild  in  the  jungles  of  Ma- 
labar, from  whence  it  is  termed  the  jungle  bird. 

■  The  plumage  of  the  cock  is  very  magnificent ; 

)  of  a  dark  hue  burnished   with  red  and  gold. 


4H'  i^.*naxT. 

ii  it  'mmmtt=^ r^m^  %j  A iJiffiJiAinr  t,  wlio  caJIs  it 
tie  Fosai  Urd.  iraiaiuig  tkit  it  enjoyed 
tjbie  kaK^dooD  faeicsr  Dtanf  and  yiegMbyzuM, 
it  v:b  proUhhr  iiiipuilcd  into  Britun  by 

TWi-  vneie  atdUisbed  in  oar 
tke  time  of  Jolios  Cesar,  who 
£Biflid  tJben  tJbcre;  but  be  boverer  states,  that 
k  was  mt  eaten  by  tbe  natires,  and,  indeed, 
tkat  it  viK  forbidden  f «.od.  Tbeie  is  a  Yoy 
siBgnfar  speciei  of  £ami  in  India,  tbe  bones 
of  wtdcb  are  perfectly  Uack  ;  it  certainly  has 
not  a  Terr  preposKssing  i^ipearanoe,  but  the 
flesb  is  singubvfy  white  and  delicate  notwith- 


Turkey,  with  its  attendant  ham,  is  a  never- ' 
fidling  party  dish  in  India,  and  a  dinner  would 
scarcely  be  deemed  a  dinner  without  one,  nay, 
scHnetimes  two  smoking  on  the  board.  Red- 
legged  partridges,  quails,  and  snipes  are  occa- 
sionally seen  at  Bombay,  but  the  island  is  too 
small  to  furnish  any  quantity  of  game,  or 
amusement  to  the  sportsman.  Field  sports  are, 
however,  quite  the  rage  at  the  out-stations,  and 
an  abundance  and  a  variety  of  birds  are  to  be 
found  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  The 
Chinese  and  the  Portuguese  likewise  eat  frogs, 
which  are  large  and  numerous,  and  make  a 
treniendous  noise  in  the  swampy  and  marshy 
parts  of  Bombay. 


NATIVE  CHINA. 


411 


Tongues,  Iiams,  cheeses,  and  sweetmeats  are 
imported  from  England;  and  it  is  laughable 
to  see  how  much  store  is  set  by  raspberry  and 
strawberry  jam  ;  but  the  difficulty  of  obtaining 
an  article,  and  the  distance  whence  it  comes, 
wonderfully  enhance  its  worth.  English  things 
are  considered  in  Bombay,  to  be  of  far  more 
viilue  than  Indian. 

What  would  t!ie  old  dowagers  of  England, 
who  doat  so  much  on  real  china,  say,  if  they 
were  to  hear  that  it  is  considered  mauvais  ton 
to  use  it  in  India.  There,  Worcester  must  be 
employed,  because  it  is  not  so  easily  procured  ; 
and  I  have  positively  heard  a  very  sensible 
lady  apologizing  for  being  so  uti fashionable  as 
to  have  native  china  at  her  tea-table.  How 
would  the  china-fanciers  of  Great  Britain  de- 
light in  the  beautiful  little  cups  in  which  the 
natives  drink  their  coffee,  but  which  in  India, 
the  English  reject  with  disdain,  and  in  the  fine 
jars  which  are  here  used  for  the  most  ordinary 
purposes!  However,  when  at  Rome,  one  must 
do  as  they  do  at  Rome,  and  no  one  at  Bombay 
could  venture  to  make  use  of  Asiatic  china, 
without  running  the  risk  of  its  being  thought 
that  he  was  too  poor  to  purchase  European. 


412  UOUSE-RENT. 


LETTER  XLIII. 

House-rent  at  Bombay. — Bungalow. — Bee-hive. — Land  and 
Sea  breezes. — Shipping  and  trade  at  Bombay. — English 
Articles  scarce  in  India. 

HousE-rent  in  Bombay  is  somewhat  high; 
two  or  three  thousand  rupees  are  very  frequent- 
ly given  per  annum  for  an  unfurnished  house, 
of  moderate  size,  in  by  no  means  an  extensive 
compound,  as  the  enclosure  or  grounds  in  which 
it  stands,  is  termed.  This  sum,  on  a  rough 
calculation,  allowing  two  shillings  to  the  rupee, 
which  is  more  than  its  actual  value,  though 
much  less  than  it  is  nominally  worth,  would  be, 
from  two  to  three  hundred  pounds  a  year. 

We  arrived  during  the  monsoon,  at  which 
period  all  the  families  take  up  their  abode  in  re- 
gular houses.  Many  of  such  families  during  the 
fair  season,  reside  in  temporary  bungalows,  and 
tents  pitched  upon  the  esplanade.  From  this 
circumstance  there  was  no  very  great  variety 
of  vacant  mansions,  from  which  to  make  a 
selection  ;  however,  we  had  no  cause  to  com- 
plain of  that  which  we  hired.  The  exterior 
was  certainly  not  very  magnificent,  and  looked 


BUNGALOW.  413 

more  like  a  nest  of  detached  cottages  or  barns, 
or  like  an  apiary,  rather  than  a  gentleman's 
house ;  "  The  llec-hive,"  indeed,  was  its  actual 
denomination.)  The  interior  was  so  construct- 
ed as  to  resemble  a  suit  of  tents,  and,  hand- 
somely fitted  up,  would  have  been  extremely 
elegant. 

Our  bungalow  was  situated  on  a  tongue  of 
land,  between  two  small  bays,  and,  at  spring- 
tides, our  compound  was  surrounded  on  three 
sides,  by  the  Indian  Ocean,  whilst  on  the  fourtli, 
rase  a  range  of  gently  swelUng  hills,  which 
were  at  this  time  tai>estried  with  verdure,  and 
topped  with  lofty  i>almyraH,  and  wavy  date- 
trees.  It  is  on  the  western  side  of  the  Island, 
at  the  foot  of  Malabar  hill,  at  the  extremity 
of  which  headland  is  one  of  the  Government 
residencies,  where  the  Governor  generally  takes 
up  his  abode  during  the  hot  season.  We  were 
within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  sea,  "  the  Sea  of 
India,  whose  bottom  is  rich  with  pearls  and 
ambergris,  whose  mountains  of  the  coast  are 
stored  with  gold  and  precious  stones,  whose 
gulfs  breed  creatures  that  yield  ivory,  and 
among  the  plants  of  whose  sliorcs  are  ebony, 
red  wood,  and  the  wood  of  Haizar,  aloes, 
camphor,  cloves,  sandal  wood,  and  all  other 
spices,  and  aromatics ;  where  parrots  and  ])ea- 


414  l-^'l' 


eodss  «e  liids  d  the  f<Hest,  and  madiL  and 
qret  aiecplWfwl  upon  the  imdiu*  Anditwas 
a  foorce  of  nerer-fiEfin^  defigfat  to  gaze  at  the 
lu^hli  expame  of  water, — to  marlk  tiie  fitfiil 
diai^cs  id  esiaar  produced  bj  the  coming 
brecxe,  or  the  pawiiig  doud — and  to  watch  the 
bright  wares  sparkling  in  die  son,  and  petu- 
lanthr  dashing  orer  the  Deighbouring  rodcs, 
or  stealing  gently  and  graduaDr  oa^  rippling 
and  eddying  round  the  pebUes  on  the  shore. 

A  noUe  reranddi,  projecting  in  front  of  oar 
fitting  rooms,  aflfbrded  us  at  once  a  ]Ht>tectioD 
from  the  ardent  rays  of  the  sun,  and  presented 
a  delightful  promenade  at  all  hours  of  the  day, 
and  here  often,  as  I  paced  up  and  down,  whilst 
listening  to  the  hoarse  resounding  surges  of  the 
Indian  Ocean,  which  lashed  the  walls  of  our 
compound,  have  I  flown  westward  in  idea,  and 
losing  myself  in  pleasing  yet  half  melancholy 
reveries,  thought  down  hours  to  minutes,  in 
musing  on  our  friends  in  England. 

The  land  and  sea  breezes  which  alternately 
blow  in  the  tropics  at  stated  hours,  delightfully 
attemper  the  ardent  heat  of  the  climate.  Ex- 
posure to  the  former,  however,  which  sets  in  at 
even-tide,  is  considered  very  dangerous,  and 
fevers  are  frequently  occasioned  thereby.  The 
latter  prevails  during  the  day,  and  commences 
about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning.     This  phoe- 


SHIPPINU  or  UOMBAY,  4(5 

nomenon  is  produced  by  the  rarefaction  of  the 
atmospliere  over  the  land,  by  intense  heat  dii- 
r'iug  the  day,  when  the  air  over  the  sea,  cooled 
by  the  immense  body  of  water,  rushes  iu  from 
thence,  and  thus  produces  the  sea  breeze.  The 
reverse  takes  place  at  night,  when,  it  being 
warmer  on  the  sea  than  on  the  land,  the  wind 
blows  in  the  opposite  direction ;  but,  though 
accounted  for,  and  produced  by  natural  causes, 
it  must  be  considered  as  a  merciful  dispensation 
of  Providence  :  in  a  tropical  country,  and  when 
oppressed  with  heat,  it  is  not  easy  to  describe 
with  what  deliyht  tiie  rising  breeze  is  hailed 
and  welcomed. 

During  the  monsoon,  native  vessels  never 
leave  the  harboin-,  but  soon  after  cocoainit 
day,  which  this  year,  (1826)  took  place  on  the 
17th  of  August,  we  daily  saw  ntnubers  of  ships, 
either  singly  or  in  fleets,  sailing  up  and  down 
the  coast.  They  trade  to  all  the  ports  between 
Cape  Comorin  and  the  Gulf  of  Cutch,  and  even 
cross  the  sea  to  Muscat  and  the  Arabian  Gulf. 
Many  of  the  larger  vessels,  will,  during  the 
eight  fair  months,  that  is,  from  October  to 
May,  perform  five  or  six  trips  to  Sural,  De- 
maun,  Broacli,  Canibay,  Juniboseir,  and  Man- 
davie,  carrying  thither  the  produce  of  Europe, 
Bengal,  and  China,  and  bringing  back  from 
these  ports,  where  many  of  the  owners  reside. 


41G 


TfUDE  or  BOMBAY. 


L 


cratton,  ghee  (clarified  butter,)  wlieat,   tim' 
firewood,  &c.     The   capital    employed    in    thi 
northen  trade  is  said  to  be  immense,  and  cei 
tainly  not  under  150  lacks  of  rupees,  includinj 
cotton  to  double  that  amount.     In  1820, 
number  of  vessels  of  diifcrent  denominatioi 
from  ten  to  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  toi 
registered  as  being  employed  in  it,  is  said 
have    amounted  to    730,  and   the   tonnage 
39,978;  and  besides  these,  tliere  were  sever^ 
smaller   boats,    from    two   to  thirty -seven  ton, 
trading  in  firewood,  hay,  he,  whose  total  bur- 
then  was    6,580   tons.      There    are,  likewise^J 
boats  even  of  a  still  less  description,  that  mi 
occasional  trips  to  Bassein  and  Choul. 

The  sliips  from  the  South  bring  timber,  pe] 
per,  cocoanuts,  and  corn  from  Malabar 
and  cotton  from  Canara ;  and  hemp,  pulse,  fii 
wood,  and  minor  articles  form  the  Southi 
trade.  The  principal  export  from  Bombay,  is 
cotton ;  but  the  quantity  is  said  to  fluctuate 
remarkably.  In  1818,  it  amounted  to  S08,900 
bales;  in  1819,  to  1 05,340 ;  and  in  1820,  to 
20,171.  Before  the  fire  at  Bombay,  in  1823, 
the  bales  of  cotton  used  to  be  deposited 
on  the  green ;  but  the  mercliants  not  being 
allowed  to  place  them  there  now,  they  are 
placed  upon,  and  occupy  a  part  of  the  espl 


TKADE  OF  BOMBAY. 


417 


nade ;  tlie  screwing  the  cotton  is  said  to  be 
very  curious,  1,500  pounds  being  compressed 
into  fifty  feet,  or  one  ton. 

For  the  European  market,  Bombay  is  an  ex- 
cellent place  to  procure  gums  and  drugs  of  all 
sorts,  Afoclia  coffee,  barilla,  cornelians,  agates, 
and  Surat  cotton  goods.  The  China  articles 
appear  to  be  very  high,  and,  comparatively 
speaking,  even  dearer  than  they  would  be  in 
London ;  but  the  native  merchants  and  retail 
traders  are  sad  extortioners,  and  impose  dread- 
fully on  strangers,  frequently  asking  twice  as 
much  as  they  will  ultimately  take,  so  that 
those  who  dislike  haggling  and  bargaining, 
pay  dearly  for  their  delicacy,  or  i>erliaps  I 
should  rather  say,  indolence ;  it  being  a  great 
exertion  in  India,  to  argue  and  battle  a  point 
with  a  bora  or  tradesman. 

Since  Poonah  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Eng- 
lisli,  the  Bombay  merchants  complain  that  the 
inland  commerce  is  entirely  ruined  ;  for,  in  the 
days  of  the  Peishwab,  immense  orders  used  to 
be  sent  down  from  that  court,  and  from  those 
of  other  potentates  of  the  interior ;  but  now 
the  money -getting,  money-loving  EngUsh,  pru- 
dently keep  their  cash  till  they  return  to  their 
native  land.  At  an  out-station,  such  as  Poonah, 
comfort  is  all  that  a  wise  person  would  aim  at ; 

vol..  I.  2  K 


4 1 8  TRADE  OF  BOMBAY. 

show  is  out  of  the  question,  and  indeed  would 
be  perfectly  ridiculous. 

In  1 820,  the  same  authority  which  has  sup- 
plied me  with  information  concerning  the  ton- 
nage and  cotton  bales,  things  which  you  will 
perhaps  think  something  out  of  my  line,  ob- 
serves, that  Bombay  was  but  indifferently  sup- 
plied with  European  luxuries  and  conveniences. 
From  our  own  experience  I  can  fully  confirm 
this  account,  and  state  that,  in  1826  and  1828, 
it  certainly  was  not  improved  in  this  particular, 
for,  there  is  scarcely  a  country  shop  in  England, 
but  would  exhibit  a  better  assortment  of  goods 
than  is  ordinarily  to  be  seen  at  the  most  supe- 
rior in  Bombay.  The  English  articles  are 
generally  very  dear  and  very  bad,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  calicos  and  cambric- muslins,  which 
may  be  procured  at  a  more  reasonable  rate. 
There  are  but  few  English  shopkeepers  at 
Bombay,  the  retail  trade  there  being  princi- 
pally in  the  hands  of  Parsees,  and  entirely  so 
up  the  country.  At  one  of  the  out-stations, 
wliere  we  spent  a  year,  there  were  literally  no 
English  things  at  all,  and  we  were  obliged  to 
employ  an  agent  at  the  Presidency  to  furnish 
us  with  them.  Indeed  we  generally  found  it 
cheaper  to  send  to  England  at  once,  for  what 
we  wanted,  particularly  for  stationery  and  arti- 
cles  of  dress   of  every   description.     Leather 


TllADE  or  BOMBAY. 


41U 


I 


shoos  and  boots,  hats  and  cutlery,  were  parti- 
cularly dear  and  had,  and  we  used  frequently 
to  wish  that  some  of  our  distressed  manufac- 
turers would  send  us  some  of  the  things  tliey 
were  selling  under  prime  cost  at  home.  They 
talk  in  England  of  the  markets  in  India  being 
overstocked,  but  if  goods  are  exported  to  the 
Presidencies,  they  certainly  stay  there;  or,  as 
it  is  sometimes  stated  in  England,  are  sent 
back  again,  for  they  do  not  circulate  freely 
tlirough  tbc  country  at  present — at  least  not 
on  the  Bombay  side — nor  will  they,  probably, 
till  more  English  settle  in  tlie  interior,  so  as  to 
trade  and  compete  with  the  Parsees,  who  ap- 
pear to  enjoy  a  sort  of  monopoly  of  the  inland 
commerce,  on  the  western  side  of  India. 

It  would  be  sucii  a  convenience  to  residents 
in  India  to  be  able  to  procure  English  articles 
with  facility,  that  upon  their  account,  inde- 
pendent of  tlie  benefit  it  would  be  of  to  our 
starving  manufacturers  at  home,  it  appears  al- 
most a  pity  that  British  tradesmen  should  not 
be  rather  invited,  than  prevented  from  settling 
in  the  remote  provinces  of  India. 


420  COCOAJJUT-DAY. 


LETTER  XLIV. 

Cocoanut-day  at  Bombay. — Native  Manners  not  to  be  pro- 
perly appreciated  at  the  Presidency.— Cocoanut-day  as 
celebrated  at  Poorbunder. — Indian  Trade  mentioned  in  the 
Bible.— Commerce  perhaps  intended  as  a  means  of 
Christianizing  the  World.  —  Trade  in  the  Red  Sea.— 
Coffee  of  Mocha. — Coffee  said  not  to  be  known  to  the 
Ancients. 

CocoANUT-DAY  is  a  great  festival  with  the 
Hindoos,  which  occurs  at  the  full-moon,  at  the 
breaking  up  of  the  monsoon,  when  the  sea  is 
supposed  to  liave  become  open  for  navigatioa. 
Upon  that  day,  the  17th  of  August,  about  sun- 
set, an  immense  number  of  persons  collected 
upon  the  esplanade  at  Bombay  to  witness  the 
ceremony  used  on  the  occasion ;  the  English 
repaired  thither  as  to  a  sort  of  spectacle,  and 
all  the  principal  natives  appeared  in  their  car- 
riages, and  in  very  magnificent  dresses,  in 
honour  of  the  day,  with  a  great  profusion  and 
display  of  pearls  and  jewels.  At  a  certain 
hour,  one  of  the  principal  Bramins,  advancing 
a  little  way  into  the  sea,  threw  a  gilt  cocoanut 
into  the  water,  which  was  a  signal  for  the  multi- 
tude to  follow  his  example,  and  thousands  of 
cocoa-nuts  were  instantaneously  seen  swimming 


COCOANUT-DAY  AT  POO  RBI' ND  EH. 


421 


in  every  direction,  every  one  being  eager  to 
make  his  offering. 

At  Bombay,  Iiowever,  the  manners  and 
customs  of  the  Hindoos  are  not  to  be  seen  in 
perfection,  any  more  than  those  of  the  inha- 
bitants of  the  interior  of  other  countries  can 
be  properly  estimated  at  their  sea-port  towns, 
or  capitals.  There  is  such  a  mixtiu-e  of 
foreigners,  English,  Portuguese,  Chinese,  Par- 
sees,  Malays,  Arabs,  Persians,  and  Armenians, 
that  the  real  Hindoos  are  more  distinguishable 
by  the  peculiarities  of  their  costume  than  by  any 
other  characteristic.  Indeed,  those  who  have 
only  visited  the  Presidencies,  which  are  the 
limits  of  the  Oriental  travels  of  a  great  many 
English  ladies,  can  have  no  idea  of  the  inte- 
rior, and  persons  who  wish  to  see  India,  should 
visit  the  out-stations,  or  perhaps,  I  should  ra- 
ther say,  the  Native  Courts. 

At  one  of  these,  Poorbunder,  on  the  coast 
of  Guzerat,  the  chief  emporium  of  that  country 
and  Malwa  with  Arabia  and  Persia,  cocoanut- 
day  is  kept  with  great  solemnity.  The  Bramins 
pronounce  a  benediction  over  the  cocoanuts, 
and  after  staining  them  with  a  vermilion  paste, 
they  deliver  them  to  the  attendant  crowd, 
whose  foreheads  they  likewise  mark  with  the 
same  paste,  with  a  smaW  circular  spot,  and 
stick  grains  of  rice  upon   it.      In   the  even- 


422  THE  DURBAR. 

ing  the  Rana*  holds  a  Durbar  upon  the  sea- 
coast,  sitting  upon  a  carpet  surrounded  by  all 
his  ministers  and  chief  inen^  and  he  makes 
presents  of  turbans  to  the  principal  merchants ; 
and  in  particular  to  any  new  one  who  has  come 
thither,  which  they  immediately  put  on  in  his 
presence.  The  whole  shore  is  brilliantly  illu- 
minated with  flambeaux  and  torches,  and  at 
a  certain  hour,  either  when  the  moon  is  quite 
at  the  full,  or  when  she  crosses  the  meridian, 
the  Rana  rises,  and  followed  by  all  his  attend- 
ants, walks  into  the  sea,  into  which  he  casts  one 
of  the  sacred  cocoanuts,  and  immediately  every 
one,  following  his  example,  launches  one  in 
also,  and  the  waves  are  instantly  covered  with 
these  nuts,  whilst  several  of  the  natives  fear- 
lessly plunging  in,  regardless  of  the  eminent 
danger  of  getting  their  heads  broken  by  the 
cocoanuts  showering  about  them  in  every  di- 
rection, secure  as  many  of  them  as  they  can. 
Whether  this  fruit,  after  the  blessing  of  the 
«Bramins,  is  supposed  to  possess  any  particular 
virtue  I  do  not  know  ; — but  the  natives  on  the 
sea  shore  watching  the  full  moon — the  votive 
offerings  of  fruit  in  honour  of  the  change  of 
the  seasons  —  and  the  ocean,  which  has  for 
months   been  vexed  by  storms  and  tempests, 

*  Rana  is  a  title  superior  to  that  of  Rajah,  and  is  equiva- 
lent to  that  of  Emperor. 


INDIAN  TltADE.  423 

having  now  become  calm  and  placid,  and  open 
to  navigation,  altogether  form  a  scene  which 
appears  to  me  to  be  highly  poetical  and  pic- 
turesque, and  as  described  by  an  eye-witness, 
must  have  been  very  striking. 

During  the  monsoon,  as  I  have  before  men- 
tioned, a  total  stop  is  put  to  navigation  of  all 
sort,  but  after  this  period,  vessels  from  India, 
Arabia,  and  Persia,  from  Melinda  and  Zan- 
zibar, sail  to  distant  conntries,  coasting  along, 
as  in  the  days  of  King  Solomon,  whose  ships, 
992  years  B.C.  were  three  years  going  and  re- 
turning from  Tarshish. 

'•  For  the  king's  ships  went  to  Tarshish  with 
the  servants  of  Huram  ;  every  three  years  once 
came  the  ships  of  Tarshish,  bringing  gold  and 
silver,  ivory  and  apes,  and  peacocks." 

This  is  so  exact  a  description  of  a  native 
voyage,  and  of  the  commodities  procured  in 
India,  that,  at  the  risk  of  being  thought  very 
presumptuous  in  differing  from  Bruce,  I  must 
beUeve  that  King  Solomon  actually  traded  with 
India,  and  indeed,  coasting  along  in  the  country 
vessels,  and  stopping  for  tlie  different  winds 
and  monsoons  in  the  Red  Sea,  Arabian  Gulf, 
and  Indian  Ocean,  it  would  not  be  easy  to 
make  the  voyage  shorter  even  now. 

The  Indian  trade,  in  all  ages  a  source  of 
wealth  to  those  by  whom  it  has  been  carried 


424       INDIAN  TRADE  MENTIONED  IN  THE  BIBLE. 

on,  and  which  now  creates  so  much  interest  in 
the  bosoms  of  speculators,  seems  to  be  very 
distinctly  mentioned  in  numerous  places  in  the 
Bible,  and  I  must  observe,  en  passant,  that 
the  more  one  is  in  the  East,  the  more  is  one 
astonished  at  the  correctness  of  the  delineations 
of  Oriental  productions,  customs  and  coimtries, 
and  with  the  spirited  and  graphical  descriptions 
which  abound  in  Sacred  Writ. 

In  the  27th  chapter  of  Ezekiel,  there  is  a  sort 
of  regular  inventory  of  the  principal  articles  of 
the  Indian  trade,  as  carried  on  with  Tyre,  588 
years  before  Christ.  The  passages — **  Many 
Isles  were  the  merchandise  of  thine  hand  ;  they 
brought  thee  for  a  present  horns  of  ivory  and 
ebony,"  would  almost  appear  to  refer  to  India, 
to  the  Islands  of  Ceylon,  and  of  the  Eastern 
Archipelago.  ^^  Cassia,  and  calamus  were  in 
thy  markets ;"  if  these  articles  be,  as  some  sup- 
pose, cinnamon  and  sugarcane,  they  are  both 
productions  of  the  East,  as  are  "  all  spices,  pre- 
cious stones,  and  gold." 

1491  years  before  Christ,  Moses,  as  mention- 
ed in  the  30th  chapter  of  Genesis,  was  com- 
manded to  make  "  an  holy  oil  of  ointment  of 
pure  myrrh,  sweet  cinnamon,  sweet  calamus 
and  cassia,"  and  to  make  a  perfume  of  **  sweet 
spices,  stacte,  onycha,  and  galbanum,  with  pure 
frankincense,"  and  these  all  seem  to  be  Indian 


SPltFAD  OK  CmSTIANlTV. 


425 


articles  of  commerce.*  But  even  still  earlier, 
in  the  days  of  Joseph,  1729  years  before  Christ, 
the  Ishmaelites  are  reprebented  as  "  with  their 
camels,  bearing  spicery,  and  balm,  and  myrrh, 
going  to  carry  it  down  to  Egypt,"  so  tliat  by 
caravans,  or  by  merchant  ships,  the  produc- 
tions of  India  seem  to  have  been,  from  the  very 
earliest  ages,  transported  to  all  parts  of  the 
civilized  world. 

It  has  been  supposed  that  commerce  is,  in  the 
hands  of  Providence,  oidy  one  of  the  means 
by  which  distant  nations  are  brought  together, 
in  order  to  the  eventual  spread  of  Christianity 
all  over  tlie  face  of  the  earth ;  and  it  would  be 
a  pleasing  idea  that  the  coffee  of  Arabia,  the 
spices  of  India,  and  the  tea  of  China,  humble 
plants  and  shrubs  in  themselves,  but  which  have 
now  become  necessaries  of  life  to  all  the  civilized 
inhabitants  of  the  world,  may  ultimately  lead 
to  the  introduction  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
Gospel,  in  the  benighted  countries  that  pro- 
duce them,  by  inducing  the  Christian  merchant 
to  frequent  their  shores,  for  the  purposes  of 
trade.  Surely  we  sliall  have  much  to  answer 
for,  if  in  pursuit  of  worldly  traffic,  we  neglect 
no  glorious  an  opportunity  of  serving  the  Lord, 

*  The  Arabiaua,  in  wIiobc  deserts  the  taraeliles  were  then 
wandering',  to  this  day  term  the  Malabar  Coast,  Belled-cl- 
Tiil-ful,  ihe  |)e(>per  cognlry. 


426  TRADE  IN  THE  RED  SEA. 

and  we  must  expect  the  vengeance  of  the 
Almighty  to  fall  upon  us,  if  we  do  not  our 
best  to  convert  the  Gtentiles  from  their  idolatry, 
when  we  have  an  opportunity,  in  visiting  these 
and  other  heathen  countries. 

The  commerce  in  the  Red  Sea  seems  to  be 
principally,  if  not  entirely  carried  on  by  the 
native  merchants  of  India.  American  ships 
likewise  trade  to  Mocha,  following  their  ex- 
ample, and  endeavouring  to  participate  in  a 
branch  of  commerce  so  lucrative  as  the  coffee 
trade.  The  first  time  an  American  ship  ever  ap- 
peared in  the  Red  Sea,  was  in  1803,  but  the  great 
profit  of  her  voyage  induced  others  to  follow 
her  example,  and  they  are  said  to  have  injured 
the  road  of  Mocha  considerably  by  throwing 
over  their  ballast ;  or  possibly  this  deterioration 
may  be  occasioned  by  the  sea  retiring  there,  as 
elsewhere  in  the  Arabian  Gulf.  The  Portu- 
guese were  the  first  who  opened  the  Red  Sea 
to  the  Europeans,  and  the  useless  crusade  of 
Don  Alphonso  Albuquerque  in  1513,  is  the 
first  time  we  ever  heard  of  Mocha,  which  is 
supposed  not  to  have  been  in  existence  four 
centuries  ago.  At  the  time  of  the  disgraceful 
expedition  of  Suliman  Basha  against  Diu,  who 
commanded  the  fleet  of  the  Soldan  of  Egypt, 
Mocha  is  mentioned  in  his  voyage  as  being  mere- 
ly a  castle,  with  a  Turk  for  its  governor.     It 


TRADK  IN  THE  UED  HEA. 


427 


mz 

I 


had  become  the  great  mart  of  the  trade  between 
India  and  Egypt,  when  the  English  first  visit- 
ed it  under  Alexander  Sharpey  in  1609,  who 
traded  without  injiirj-;  but  in  tlie  follow- 
ing year.  Sir  Henry  Middlelon  was  betrayed 
and  kept  prisoner  for  some  time.  Niebuhr 
mentions  the  English  being  there  in  1738, 
when  the  French  bombarded  the  town,  to 
oblige  the  Dowlah  to  pay  his  debts,  and  to  re- 
duce the  duties  from  three  to  two  and  a  half 
per  cent. ;  and  a  short  time  ago,  to  chastise 
the  natives  for  some  acts  of  contumacj',  the 
English  sent  an  expedition  against  it,  which 
produced  several  desirable  concessions  in  our 
favour.  The  inhabitants  of  Moclia  are  not, 
however,  quite  cured  of  their  turbulence,  for  not 
long  after  we  left  Arabia,  intelligence  reached 
Bombay  of  their  having  regularly  besieged 
the  Britisli  Itesidency.  when  the  Surgeon,  who 
behaved  witii  much  spirit,  iiaving  accidentally, 
or  intentionally,  shot  one  of  the  men  who  were 
making  forcible  entree,  they  vowed  vengeance 
against  him  ;  swore  Ihcy  would  have  his  life,  and 
sent  him  word  that  his  grave  was  dug,  upon 
\vhich  it  was  deemed  expedient  immediately  to 
send  him  to  the  Presidency  to  ensure  his  safety, 
as  there  was  every  probability  that  they  would 
have  taken  some  opportimity  of  putting  their 
threat  into  execution.     Since  the  clipping' and 


428  TRADE  IN  THE  RED  SEA. 

economical  system  has  come  into  fashion,  the 
Jlesidency  at  Mocha  has  been  given  up  alto- 
gether, and  there  is  now  merely  a  native  agent 
employed  there,  as  at  Djidda,  where  the  native 
India  merchant-ships  winter ;  from  whence  it 
may  be  inferred,  that  the  trade  in  the  Red 
Sea  is  not  much  on  the  increase;  and  yet 
it  is  a  pity,  for,  as  a  modern  writer  elegantly 
observes,  *^like  the  rough  and  russet  coat  of 
the  Persian  pomegranate,  which  gives  little 
promise  of  the  rich  and  crimson  pulp  within, 
so  Arabia,  all  forbidding  as  she  looks,  can 
boast  of  Yemen  and  her  sparkling  springs, 
of  her  frankincense  and  precious  gems,  her 
spices  and  coffee  berries,  her  luscious  dates, 
and  the  honey  of  the  rock."  Coffee  is  scarcely 
more  a  necessary  of  life  to  the  Arab  and  the 
Turk,  than  to  their  Mahometan  brethren  in 
India,  and,  though  I  confess  I  never  discovered 
its  wonderful  superiority,  that  of  Mocha  seems 
to  be  considered,  universally,  the  finest  in  the 
world.  Some,  which  we  procured  at  that  place, 
we  sent  as  a  present  to  some  friends  in  Eng- 
land, by  whom  it  was  highly  prized,  and  they 
have  often  told  me  it  was  peculiarly  good> 
and  infinitely  superior  to  any  they  could  pur- 
chase in  London  under  the  name  of  Mocha 
coffee. 

It  is  singular,  as  I  have  before  observed,  that 


COFFEE  UNKNOWN  TO  THE  ANCIENTS.       429 

tjofifee,  which  is  now  such  a  necessary  of  life 
in  many  parts  of  the  world,  should  be  entirely 
of  modem  introduction,  and  some  say,  that  it 
was  not  known  to  the  ancients  at  all,  though 
this  seems  hardly  credible. 


END   OF   THE   FIRST   VOLUME. 


londom: 
printed  by  lamuil  bemtlit, 

Doitct  8trc«rt»  Flett  Stnrt. 


1,